p 


*•**., 


X5he 

Urisb    Dfn&icator 

Both    of 

IRace  anb  Xanouacje 


AN  APPEAL   TO  THE  IRISH  RACE 
TO  SAVE  THE  IRISH  LANGUAGE 


P.      J.      O'DALY 


iNCSf&EGEUBRARY 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS 

1911 

ANGEL     GUARDIAN     PRESS, 

BOSTON. 


180764 


. 


PREFACE 

A  dhaoine  gkabhan  sios  agus  suas  thar  an  ait  seo, 
Breithnighidh  an  long  so  air  a'  bpoll  nil  bao'al  bathadh 
Beidh  Aelus  da  saora  o  stoirm  an  ghala, 
Agus  Ileitis  a'reidheatach  na  d-tonn  le  mordkail  di. 

FREE  TRANSLATION. 

Terambukting  bipeds  let  your  minds  ne'er  alter, 
Into  fear,  that  this  ship  will  ever  sink  in  the  water; 
As  Aeolus  will  there  save  it  from  the  rage  of  the 

storm, 
And  to  harmonize  waves  for  it  Thetis  won't  falter. 

The  above  four  Irish  lines,  in  the  artistic  Irish 
letter,  without  a  translation,  appeared  on  a  minia- 
ture ship,  in  a  window  on  Federal  St.,  Boston,  several 
doors  north  from  Kneeland  St.,  on  the  eastern  side,  in 
1872.  Not  only  the  artistic  letter  in  which  these 
lines  were  penned,  but  also,  the  language  in  which 
they  were  written,  was  a  mystery  to  the  crowds  that 
collected  at  that  window  from  time  to  time  for  a 
few  days  after  the  lines  being  placed  there. 

The  first  passer-by  who  read  the  lines  was  Mr. 
Jeremiah  Shaw  of  So.  Boston  then,  now  of  Brighton 
Dist.  Boston;  and  possibly  the  only  man  then  in 
Boston,  outside  of  the  writer,  P.  J.  O'Daly  and 
one  other  man,  who  could  read  them. 

This  incident  brought  together,  the  reader  of  the 
lines  and  the  writer  thereof,  and  a  few  others, 
friends  of  both,  who  had  an  idea  of  what  Ireland 
had  suffered  under  English  misrule;  as  well  as  of  her 
ancient  greatness,  ages  before  Englishism  had  any 
existence  in  the  world. 

This  little  crowd,   whom   the   above   Irish   lines 


2  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

were  instrumental  in  bringing  together,  were  prac- 
tical speakers  of  the  Irish  language,  fully  familiar 
with  its  idioms  and  peculiarities — familiar  with 
Tadhag  Gaedheadch's  Piuos  Miscellany,  and  also 
with  much  of  the  compositions  in  the  Irish  language, 
of  the  Irish  Bards  of  the  last  few  centuries — in- 
cluded Michael  C.  O'Shea,  the  leading  light  of  the 
Irish  language  in  his  day.  He  has  written  pam- 
phlets tracing  English,  Greek  and  Latin  to  their 
original  roots  in  the  Irish  language.  Mr.  Jeremiah 
Shaw  also,  has  now,  as  the  result  of  many  years  of 
research,  a  pamphlet  consisting  of  a  few  thousand 
words  in  English  traced  to  their  roots  in  Irish. 

This  bunch  thus  brought  together  accidentally 
knew  Irish  history,  and  some  of  them  had  been  in 
the  premature  Rising  of  1867  in  Ireland.  At  social 
meetings  thereof,  the  affairs  of  Ireland  were  often 
discussed,  and  particularly  the  Irish  language  re- 
ceived a  share  of  attention;  as  it  was  clearly  de- 
monstrated that  the  slanders  heaped  on  the  Irish 
race  for  centuries  could  never  be  refuted  without 
the  revival  of  the  Irish  language,  and  familiarity 
with  Irish  literature.  As  a  result  of  these 
meetings  from  time  to  time,  there  came  into  exis- 
tence in  Boston,  in  April  1873,  the  Philo-Celtic 
Society,  for  the  study  of  the  Irish  language. 

Since  that  time  the  Irish  language  movement 
has  spread  all  over  the  world.  The  Philo-Celtic 
Society  and  other  Societies  and  schools  which 
sprang  up  afterwards  for  the  study  of  the  language 
in  Boston  and  vicinity  have  been  trying,  when 
reporting  their  schools  or  classes  in  the  newspapers 
from  time  to  time,  to  put  forth  the  claims  of  the 
Irish  language  to  antiquity;  and  also  its  utility 
from  an  educational  point  of  view. 

The  newspapers,  as  well  as  the  general  public 
being  unacquainted  with  the  value  of  the  Irish 
language  from  any  point  of  view  except  the  value 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  6 

placed  thereon  through  English  literature  for  cen- 
turies, that  of  a  jargon,  with  no  literature  worthy 
of  the  name,  considered  our  claims  extravagant, 
and  therefore  refused  to  give  them  (our  supposed 
extravagant  items)  publicity. 

Owing  to  the  absurdities  which  crept  into  the 
story  of  the  " Travels  of  the  Gaels,"  by  Irish  writers 
in  embellishing  the  relation  thereof,  having  followed 
Grecian  literature  before  the  geography  of  the 
world  became  generally  known;  Irish  historians 
who  wrote  in  English  since  geography  became 
known,  were  timid  about  asserting  themselves 
regarding  the  value  of  the  Irish  language,  as  they 
did  not  understand  it;  or  the  antiquity  and  civil- 
ization of  the  ancient  Irish  either,  as  they  knew  not 
the  history  thereof,  being  unable  to  remove  the 
"absurdities;"  and  as  a  consequence  the  slanders 
of  English  and  pro-English  writers  on  the  Irish 
race,  had  the  field  to  themselves,  and  have  still. 
As  a  result  the  masses  of  the  Irish  people  wherever 
located,  as  a  rule,  take  the  writings  of  English  and 
pro-English  scribes  regarding  Ireland  and  her  people 
in  days  gone  by,  as  Gospel  Truth,  thus  far. 

When  1  read  Keating's  History  of  Ireland  in  my 
boyhood  days,  and  found  the  "absurdities"  in 
connection  with  "the  Travels  of  the  Gaels,"  the 
idea  struck  me  that  there  was  an  explanation  for 
them;  and  I  never  lost  sight  of  that  idea  until  I 
discovered  the  fact. 

After  coming  to  Boston  when  opportunity  offered 
I  found  myself  consulting  the  English  translation 
of  the  Topographical  Dictionaries  of  the  Countries 
of  Continental  Europe,  Western  Asia  and  Nothern 
Africa.  I  met  a  few  points  in  Topography  that 
strengthened  my  original  idea  regarding  the  "ab- 
surdities," but/made  no  headway  in  accomplishing 
the  ends  aimed  at,  until  the  fac-similes  of  the 
great    Irish    Manuscript    volumes    from    Dublin, 


4  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

Ireland,  arrived  in  our  public  Library  of  Boston, 
some  years  ago. 

With  the  aid  of  these  books,  and  the  knowledge 
I  had  of  the  Irish  language,  particularly,  the  spoken 
language,  I  removed  some  of  the  "absurdities," 
from  the  "Travels  of  the  Gaels,"  years  ago;  and 
the  others  have  been  yielding  by  degrees,  so  that 
at  the  present  day  I  am  in  a  position  to  assert  the 
great  antiquity  of  the  Gaels  before  their  arrival  in 
Ireland,  and  am  prepared  to  prove  the  same  in 
their  '"Travels,"  which  will  be  published  in 
1911. 

Having  this  knowledge  regarding  the  Irish  race 
and  ancestors,  and  seeing  how  they  have  been  ma- 
ligned and  slandered  by  English  writers  in  the  far 
back  post,  and  lately  by  writers  in  general: — any 
Tom,  Dick  or  Harry,  "who  would  write  himself 
into  a  degree  of  notoriety,  or  favor,  by  effusions  of 
the  most  consummate  ignorance  and  contemptible 
Scurrility,"  in  reference  to  the  Gaels; — I  deem  it  my 
duty  to  lay  the  facts  before  the  Irish  race,  and  let 
that  race  take  action  thereon;  particularly  the  or- 
ganizations thereof. 

Even  Irishmen  and  women  today,  impelled  by 
these  misrepresentations,  which  are  nigh  universal 
at  present,  are  losing  the  self  respect  and  indepen- 
dence which  characterized  their  race  in  times  gone 
by,  when  they  knew  their  history  through  their 
ancestral  language.  Hence  "The  Irish  Vindicator 
Both  of  Race  and  Language,"  is  published  to  sound 
the  warning  note  to  the  Sea-devided  Geals,  and  all 
others  who  may  feel  interested. 

The  few  samples  given  in  the  foot  notes  in  this 
little  book,  to  prove  the  value  of  a  knowledge  of 
Irish  as  a  living  language,  will  convince  the  classical 
scholars,  that  there  is  a  wide  field  to  labor  in  yet,  in 
the  etymological,  philological,  historical  and  myth- 
ological lines:  and    that  the  only  laborers  that  can 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  5 

be  successful  in  these  lines  are  the  practical  speakers 
of  the  Irish  language. 

It  is  the  duty  therefore  of  the  classical  scholars  of 
the  race  and  all  others  interested,  be  their  nation- 
ality what  it  may,  to  aid  and  encourage  by  every 
possible  means,  the  movement  for  the  preservation 
of  Irish  as  a  living  language,  so  that  this  great  field 
of  general  knowledge,  neglected  so  long,  may  be 
thoroughly  cultivated,  and  the  "acme"  in  educa- 
tion, otherwise  impossible,  reached  thereby. 

Among  those  who  read  my  manusrcipt  of  "The 
Irish  Vindicator  both  of  Race  and  Language," 
and  made  some  suggestions  whereby  I  profited, 
both  in  arrangement  and  revision  I  shall  mention 
Rev.  James  I.  Maguire,  S.  J.,  of  Boston  College, 
E.  A.  Grozier,  Editor  and  Publisher  of  the  "Boston 
Post;"  Patrick  Ford,  Editor  and  Proprietor  of  the 
"Irish  World,"  N,  York.  Rev.  Philip  J.  O'Donnell, 
Pastor  of  St.  Philip's  Parish  Boston;  Rev.  D.  J. 
Toomey,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  F.  A.  Cunningham,  Editor 
of  '  'The  Pilot, "  to  whom  I  hold  myself  under  obliga- 
tion; particularly  the  latter  who  read  the  proofs,  as 
they  came  from  the  Press. 

To  the  matter  of  Financing  the  Publication,  I 
am  indebted  to  Rev.  Philip  J.  O'Donnell,  Pastor 
of  St.  Philip's  Parish  Boston,  who  became  responsible 
therefor^  and  for  which  I  am  sincerely  thankful  to 
him. 

The  subject  being  of  such  a  peculiar  nature — 
out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  publications,  and  in 
fact,  that  such  was  possible,  incredible  to  the  masses 
of  the  Irish  race  — I  deemed  it  advisable  to  handle 
the  publication  myself. 

That  such  an*  undertaking  required  some  cash  is 
evident  to  every  individual  who  has  any  conception 
of  the  business;  and  of  those  to  whom  I  explained 
my  lack  of  equipment  in  that  particular  line,  E  A. 
Grozier  Editor  and  Publisher  of  the  "Boston  Post,' ' 


6  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

was  the  only  man  who  responded,  with  an  order  for 
cash  on  his  bank,  without  bond  or  security,  to  be 
paid  at  my  convenience;  an  act  which  I  shall  never 
forget. 

P.  J.  O'Daly. 
Boston,  November  26th,  1910. 

Post  Script. 

"The  Irish  Vindicator,  both  of  Race  and  Lan- 
guage," is  an  entering  wedge  for  the  vindication  of 
the  Irish  race,  a  subject  too  long  neglected;  and  the 
scholars  of  the  race  may  be  depended  on  to  drive  it. 
However  an  Irish  language  "ollord,"  alone,  can  force 
it  to  the  extend  of  bursting  the  plank  it  has  entered, 
the  plank  which  has  been  placed  between  the  Irish 
race  and  the  light  of  their  ancient  civilization,  for 
centuries;  and  in  order  to  place  the  book  within  the 
reach  of  the  masses  of  that  race,  it  will  be  sold 
at  10c  a  copy.     Well  bound  copies,  25c. 

P.  J.  O'D. 


THE    IRISH    VINDICATOR.  7 

DEDICATION 

To  the  Organizations  of  the  Irish  race  all  over 
the  world.  "The  Irish  Vindicator  Both  of  Race, 
and  Language,"  is  dedicated  by  the  author. 

The  Organizations  of  the  Irish  race,  wherever 
located,  although  their  objects  may  van-,  have  in 
common,  pride  of  race,  and  love  for  the  Emerald 
Isle,  the  land  of  their  ancestors  for  three  thousand 
six  hundred  years;  and  the  ardent  degree  in  which 
they  possess  these  characteristics  depends  as  a 
natural  consequence,  upon  the  historic  knowledge 
they  have  of  their  ancestors. 

That  knowledge  has  been  denied  the  Irish  race 
for  the  last  seven  centuries  by  the  English  govern- 
ment having  suppressed  the  civilization  of  that  race, 
a  civilization  that  was  not  surpassed  in  the  world,  as 
Irish  literature  and  Irish  Laws,  will  prove  to-day; 
nor  equalled  in  point  permanency,  and  all  they  know 
as  a  rule,  of  that  civilization  at  present  is  a  faint 
tradition.  And  were  it  not  for  the  advanced  state  of 
cultivation  to  which  the  Gaelic  language  had  reached 
ages  before  the  Anglo  Norman  invasion,  and  the 
copiousness  and  variety  of  its  literature,  which 
absorbed  the  foreign  element,  as  it  came,  by  degrees, 
for  a-long  time,  despite  the  laws  enacted  by  England 
to  check  such  a  course,  there  would  not  be  even  a 
"faint  tradition,"  of  that  civiliaztion  among  the 
masses  of  the  Irish  race  at  the  present  day. 

The  ignoble  work  of  maligning  and  slandering 
the  Irish  was  commenced  by  the  English  nation  in 
the  12th  century,  A.  D.,  and  continued  ever  since, 
but  in  latter  centuries  in  a  more  modified  degree. 
A  sample  from  Hume  the  English  historian  of  the 
18th  century  is,  in  substance,  that  "The  Irish  from 
the  commencement  of  time  were  steeped  in  ignorance 
and  babarism." 

But  the  English  nation  did  not  confine  itself  to 


8  THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

slanders  and  misrepresentations  of  the  Irish  race 
all  these  centuries;  the  more  effective  deeds  of  blood 
thirsty  murders,  extirpation  and  annihilation  of 
that  race,  both  lay  and  clerical,  young  and  old,  male 
and  female,  were  resorted  to. 

As  was  natural  to  expect,  things  grew  worse  after 
the  reformation,  particularly  after  Queen  Elizabeth 
having  ascended  the  throne;  it  was  then  that  the 
clergy  were  expelled  and  the  images  removed  from 
the  churches.  "All  through  her  reign  bishops  and 
priests  were  slaughtered  in  great  numbers."  In 
1602  Elizabeth  issued  a  proclamation  that  all  priests 
should  leave  the  country,  and  to  enable  them  to  do 
so,  she  promised  them  a  free  passage,  51   monks 

accepted  this  offer,  but  when  they  reached  mid- 
ocean,  having  sailed  from  Limerick  city,  they  were 
flung  into  the  sea,  in  accordance  with  private  in- 
structions from  the  Queen  (Elizabeth.) 

The  Puritans  were  followers  of  John  Calvin,  the 
fanatic  of  Switzerland  who  protested  against  the 
authority  of  the  Pope  as  did  Henry  VIII  of  England 
and  others.  They  came  into  power  in  England 
and  Scotland  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  who  as- 
cended the  English  throne  in  1625.  Lord  Claren- 
don says  that  the  Puritan  leaders  "had  sworn  to 
extirpate  the  whole  Irish  nation,"  and  Carte  affims 
that  "the  lords  justices  had  set  their  hearts  on  the 
extirpatiohn,  not  only  of  the  mere  Irish,  but  like- 
wise of  all  the  English  families  (in  Ireland)  that 
were  Roman  Catholics."  Butchering  by  whole- 
sale in  Ireland,  commenced  under  the  leadership  of 
Sir  Charles  Coote.  Three  thousand  men,  women 
and  children  were  put  to  death  in  one  night  by  the 
Scotch  garrison  of  Carrickfergus,  which  came  upon 
them  suddenly  in  Island  Magee.,  on  the  coast  of 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

AntrfKkin  Ulster,  Nov.  1641.  This  Coote  declared 
that  he  would  not  spare  even  "a  babe  though  it  were 
but  a  span  long."  This  state  of  affairs  in  Ireland 
brought  into  existence  the  organization  known  as 
"The  Confederation  of  Kilkenny,"  which  embraced 
the  Anglo  Irish  as  well  as  the  native  Irish  Catholics. 
This  Confederation  to  some  extent  checked  the  whole 
sale  slaughter,  and  gave  something  to  do  to  the 
government,  which  was  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
Puritans;  and  would  in  all  probality  succeed  in  sub- 
duing the  Puritanic  power  if  they  stuch  together; 
but  the  Anglo-Irish  element  of  the  Confederation 
became  somewhat  lement  towards  the  king,  and, 
as  a  consequence  the  Puritans  eventually  succeeded. 
Here  are  samples  of  the  entreaties  that  appeared 
in  a  political  pamphlet  published  in  London  in 
1647,  calling  for  an  expedition  to  deal  with  the  Irish 
in  Ireland.  "1  beg  upon  my  hands  and  knees,  that 
the  expedition  against  them  may  be  undertaken 
while  the  hearts  and  hands  of  our  soldiers  are  hot, 
to  whom  I  will  be  bold  to  say  briefly:  Happy  is 
he  that  shall  reward  them  as  they  have  served  us, 
and  cursed  is  he  that  shall  do  the  work  of  the  Lord 
negligently.  Cursed  be  he  that  holdeth  back 
his  sword  from  blood;  yea,  cursed  be  he  that 

MAKETH  NOT  HIS  SWORD  STARKE  DRUNK  WITH  IRISH 

blood:  *  *  *  Let  not  that  eye  look  for  pity,  nor 
that  hand  be  spared,  that  pities  or  spares  them,  and 
let  him  be  accursed  that  curserth  them  not 
bitterly!!!" 

In  two  years  after  these  blood-thirsty  entreat- 
ies in  August,  1649,  Cromwell  the  Puritan 
general  went  to  Ireland  with  14,000  men  to  put 
an  end  to  tfre  struggle  that  existed  in  the  country 


10  THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

by  killing  and  banishing  the  Irish  race  from  the 
island.  History  tells  his  career  after  landing, 
being  remarkable  for  the  amount  of  blood  which 
he  caused  to  be  shed  there  in  a  few  months.  0^fh^ 

"Thus  at  Drogheda,  although  quarter  had 
been  promised,  the  work  of  slaughter  lasted 
5  days,  and  the  2000  men  composing  the  garrison 
were  put  to  the  sword,  together  with  1000  un- 
resisting victims  who  had  sought  refuge  in  the 
great  church.  The  few  who  escaped  death 
were  sent  as  slaves  to  the  Barbadoes,  Sept.  11th. 

In  his  letter  to  parliament  relative  to  this 
massacre,  Cromwell  calls  it  "a  righteous  judg- 
ment of  God  upon  the  barharous  wretches." 
and  says,  "Our  rnen  were  ordered  by  me,  to  put 
them  all  to  the  sword.    " 

"At  Wexford  the  enemy  broke  into  the  town 
during  a  truce,  and  'no  distinction,'  says  Lin- 
gard,  'was  made  between  the  defenceless  in- 
habitants and  the  armed  soldiers,  nor  could  the 
shrieks  of  300  females  who  gathered  round  the 
great  cross,  in  the  market  place,  preserve  them 
from  the  swords  of  these  ruthless    barbarians. 

"The  clergy  of  every  grade  and  order  were 
driven  by  the  law  into  perpetual  banishment,  and 
if  they  dared  to  remain  in  the  kingdom,  or  re- 
turn to  it  again  after  the  first  of  February  1652, 
they  were  condemned  to  be  hanged  till  half -dead, 
then  cut  down  alive  and  beheaded,  their  heads 
put  upon  poles  on  the  highways,  and  their  hearts 
and  entrails  publicly  burned.  A  price  was  set 
upon  each  head,  (it  was  the  price  of  a  wolf's,) 
and  the  money  was  paid  when  the  bloody  eviden- 
ce of  the  murder  was  delivered." —  (Irish  Mar- 
tyrs and  Confessors.) 

The  blood  money  in  those  days  was  £5,  which 
was  then  equal  in  value  to  about  $200  of  the 
present  day  money.     This  made  non-Catholic 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  11 

informers  numerous  in  the  country,  even  history 
tells  us  that  Portuguese  Jews  came  to  Ireland 
making  money  as  Priest-hunters.  Besides  the 
number  slain  of  all  ages,  in  Cromwell's  time  in 
Ireland,  there  were  from  60,000  to  100,000  in- 
cluding the  military  age,  boys,  girls  and  women 
sent  into  exile.  Many  of  these  were  sold  as 
slaves. 

Notwithstanding  the  wholesale  slaughter  and 
banishment  of  the  people  by  Cromwell,  the 
population  was  still  large;  so  the  Irish  govern- 
ment, controlled  by  the  chief  officers  of  the 
regicide  party,  thought  of  another  plan,  to  get 
rid  of  them  at  least  to  remove  them  from  the 
best  lands  of  the  country,  and  make  room  for 
the  foreigners.  The  plan  is  told  by  Lord 
Clarendon,  thus: — 

"They  found  the  utter  extirpation  of  the 
nation  (which  they  had  intended)  to  be  in  itself 
very  difficult,  and  to  carry  in  it  something  of 
a   horror,  that   made  some  impression  on  the 
stonehardness   of  their  own   hearts.     After  so 
many  thousands  destroyed  by  the  plague  which 
raged  over  the   kingdom,   by   fire,   sword  and 
famine,    and  after   so  many   thousands  trans- 
ported into  foreign  parts,     there  remained  still 
such  a   numerous   people   that  they  knew  not 
how  to  dispose  of;  and  though  they  were  declared 
to  be  all  forfeited,  and  so  to  have    no  title   to 
anything,    yet   they   must    remain    somewhere. 
They,    therefore   found   this    expedient,   which 
they  called  an  act  of  grace:  there  was  a  large 
tract  of  land,  even  to  the  half  of  the  province 
of  Connaught,/that  was  separated  from  the  rest 
by  a  long  and  large  river,  and  which  by  the 
plague  and  many  massacres,  remained  almost 
desolate.     Into    this    space    they    required    all 
the  Irish  to  retire  by  such  a  day,  under  the  pe- 


12  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

nalty  of  death ;  and  all  who  should  after  that  time 
be  found  in  any  other  port  of  the  kingdom,,  man 
woman,  or  child,  should  be  killed  by  any- 
body who  saw  or  met  them.  The  land  within 
this  circuit,  the  most  barren  in  the  kingdom, 
was,  out  of  the  grace  and  mercy  of  the  conquerers, 
assigned  to  those  of  the  nation  as  were  enclosed 
in  such  proportions  as  might,  with  great  in- 
dustry, preserve  their  lives."  '(" Clarendon V 
Life;"  vol.  2,  p  116). 

The  1st  of  May  1654,  was  the  date  on  which 
the  Catholics  of  Munster,  Leinster,  and  Ulster 
such  of  them  as  then  existed  —  were  forced  to 
cross  the  Shannon  into  "hell,  or  Connaught,"as 
the  Cromwillians  used  the  phrase.  The  total 
amount  of  land  confiscated  from  the  Catholics 
of  these  three  provinces,  was  7,708,237  acres. 

Even  in  the  latter  half  of  the  16th  century 
when  the  wars  of  the  Earl  of  Desmond  against 
the  government  of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  Ireland, 
were  over,  the  country  was  in  a  desolatte  con- 
dition. In  the  words  of  Edmund  Spencer 
the  English  poet,  Munster  was  reduced  to  "a 
heap  of  carcasses  and  ashes"  This  was  not 
surprising  when  we  find  the  English  soldiers 
in  the  country  in  those  days  getting  orders  "to 
kill,  burn,  and  destroy  without  restraint;  and 
so  eager  were  these  minions  for  slaughter,  that 
they  spared  neither  man,  woman,  nor  child, 
but  all  were  committed  to  the  sword." 

In  those  days,  "unheard  of  cruelties  were 
committed  on  the  inhabitants  of  Munster  by 
the  English  commanders.  Great  companies 
of  these  provincials,  men,  women,  and  children, 
were  often  forced  into  castles  and  other  houses, 
which  were  then  set  on  fire.  And  if  any  of 
them  attempted  to  escape  from  the  flames,  they 
were  shot  or  stabbed  by  the  soldiers  who  stood 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  13 

guard  outside.  It  was  a  diversion  to  these 
monsters  of  men  to  take  up  infants  on  the  point 
of  the  -pier  and  whirl  them  about  in  their  agony 
apologizing  for  their  cruelty,  by  saying  that  if 
they  suffered  them  to  live,  to  grow  up,  they 
would  become  popish  rebels. " 

After  such  atrocities  in  the  10th  century  and 
continued  by  Cromwell  in  the  17  th  century 
with  increased  bitterness  and  inhumanity  (  if 
such  were  possible;)  and  the  introduction  of  the 
"penals  laws/'  in  the  18th  century,  to  get  rid 
of  the  Irish  race  in  Ireland;  it  was  realy  miracu- 
lous to  find  any  Irish  people  in  existence, 
anywhere,  at  least  in  Ireland,  afterwards. 

After  Cromwell's  time  and  the  restoration  of 
the  Stewarts,  the  slaughters  were  not  so  com- 
mon as  before;  but  no  stone  was"  left  un- 
turned by  the  government  from  time  to 
time,  to  get  the  leaders  of  the  people,  who 
were  advocating  their  rights,  into  conspiracies 
for  their  ruination.  We  have  samples  of 
efforts  in  this  line  by  the  English  govern- 
ment, in  Ireland,  in  the  case  of  O'Neill 
of  Ulster,  when  the  "anonymus  letter  was  drop 
ped  in  the  Council  Chamber  of  Dublin  Castle 
containing  charges  of  high  treason  against  him 
and  O'Donnell,  Earl  of  Tyrconnell,  on  the 
ground  that  they  had  attended  a  meeting  of 
Catholic  gentleman."  As  a  result  these  leaders 
fled  to  the  continent  in  1607,  knowing  what  was 
in  store  for  them.  This  incident  is  known  as, 
"The  flight  of  the  Earls." 

In  the  case  of  Titus  Oates  of  England,  an 
infamous  perjurer  who  charged  the  Catholics 
of  that  country  with  conspiracy  against  the 
king  and  the  protectant  religion  in  1687,  we 
have  another  sample;  and  Ireland  had  to  suffer 
for  this  conspiracy  said  to  have  been  planned 


14  THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

in  England;  as  the  following  paragraph  will 
show: — "Although  knowing  them  to  be  innocent, 
Desmond,  at  once  disarmed  the  Catholics  (of 
Ireland,)  closed  their  chapels,  suppressed  their 
schools,  and  commanded  all  priests  to  quit  the 
island  by  a  certain  day." 

After  the  unparrallelled  efforts  in  the  16th 
and  17  centuries,  and  I  may  say  the  18th,  to 
wipe  out  the  Irish,  it  is  nothing  short  of  a  miracle 
to  observe  how  they  multiplied,  so  that  in  the 
first  half  of  the  19th  century,  they  enumerated 
between  &  and  9  millions.  But  the  hand  of  the 
despoiler  came  again  in  the  same  19th  century, 
a  woman  ruler,  Queen  Victoria,  in  whose  reign 
1,225,000  of  the  Irish  people  died  of  starvation, 
and  at  the  same  time  food  stuffs  enough  to 
support  double  the  population,  leaving  the 
country,  to  make  the  rent  for  the  landlords; 
and  over  4,000,000  of  the  population  emigrated 
— fled  from  starvation! II 

But  if  the  race  is  not  in  Ireland,  it  is  abroad 
all  over  the  world,  in  both  hemispheres,  north 
and  south;  and  the  universal  multiplication 
today,  of  the  Irish  race,  which  went  close  on 
extinction  as  late  as  two  centuries  ago,  may  be 
an  indication  that  they  are  destined  for  some 
important  mission  in  the  future,  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  They  have  a  record  in  the  far 
back  past  that  no  nation  in  the  world  thus  far, 
is  able  to  produce;  and  "No  people  can  look 

I  forward  to  prosferity  who  cannot  often  look 
back  to  their  ancestors." 

With  the  Irish  language  revival  Ireland  will 
become  again  the  School  of  Europe,  as  it  was 
before  for  ages  anterior  to  the  Anglo  Norman 
invasion. 

There  is  a  future  for  the  Irish  race  abroad  also, 
provided  that  they  follow  in   the  footsteps  of 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  15 

their  ancestors  whose  name  and  fame  shall  yet 
shine  before  the  civilized  world,  through  a  know- 
ledge of  their  language  and  literature,  which  is 
absolutely  necessary  from  an  educational  point 
of  view. 

Those  slanders  and  misrepresentations  of 
English  writers  have  permeated  the  masses 
of  the  Irish  race  who  believe  them  facts  at  the 
present  day  in  the  absence  of  any  effort  by  the 
Irish  race  to  refute  them,  for  the  last  3  centuries. 
When  Camden's  Compilation  became  public 
property  in  1602  the  following  Irish  writers 
refuted  the  slanders;  Dr.  Keating  the  historian 
Dr.  Lynch,  Rev.  Father  White  a  Jesuit,  and 
Philip  O'Sullivan  of  Bere  Haven.  The  former 
wrote  in  Irish  and  the  latter  three  wrote  in  Latin. 
This  list  of  Irish  vindicators  upholds  the  asser- 
tion that  the  descendants  of  the  foreigners  in 
Ireland,  "become  more  Irish  than  the  Irish 
themselves ;"  as  the  former  3  names  are  descen- 
dants of  foriegners. 

In  their  works  of  refutation  those  Irish  writers 
were  successful;  but  unfortunately  for  the 
diffusion  of  the  knowledge  which  their  writings 
conveyed,  the  Irish  language  was  then  banned 
and  proscribed  by  English  law  in  Ireland;  and 
the  Latin  language  intelligible  only  to  a  few 
comparatively ;  and  to  add  to  these  disadvantages 
the  tyranny  of  the  English  government  in  the 
country,  in  those  days,  as  shown  in  these  pages, 
was  so  severe  that  as  a  result,  the  efforts  of  those 
Irish  champion  vindicators  of  the  Seventeenth 
century  were   lost  sight  of. 

Now,  "The  Irish  vindicator  Both  of  Race 
and  Language^"  makes  its  appearance  in  the 
tenth  year  of'the  twentieth  century,  to  spread 
the  light  among  the  Sea-divided  Gaels,  through 
the  medium  of  the  English  language  which  they 


16  THE   IRISH  VINDIVATOR. 

know  as  a  rule  —  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  say  — 
better  than  their  ancestoral  tongue.  And  as 
I  he  misrepresentations  are  so  long  in  existence 
it  will  take  an  organized  effort  to  supplant  them 
with  the  truth. 

Happily,  however,  there  is  no  need  of  new 
organizations  for  this  important  mission.  In 
every  community  in  which  the  Irish  are  factors 
thereof  to  any  extent  in  any  country,  there  is  an 
Irish  organization;  and  the  assertion  that  love 
for  Ireland  and  pride  of  race  have  a  place  in  the 
memory  of  the  members  of  these  organizations 
is  very  clearly  demonstrated  on  each  recurring 
anniversary  of  Saint  Patrick's  Day,  St.  Bridget's 
Day,  and  the  4th  of  March.  Also,  May  Day, 
Midsummer's  Day  (transferred  to  St.  John's 
Festival)  and  All  Hallow  Eve,  are  beginning 
to  be  observed;  particularly  the  latter. 

The  observance  of  remarkable  anniversaries 
of  their  ancestral  land  by  the  organizations  of 
the  Irish  race  in  foreign  countries  is  peculiarly 
characteristic  of  that  race.  The  "faint  tradition' 
of  the  name  and  fame  of  their  race,  in  the  far 
back  past  is  clinging  tenaciously  to  the  mind; 
and  as  the  light  which  has  been  checked  for 
centuries  is  beginning  to  gleam,  and  the  truths 
which  have  been  smothered  for  ages,  are  begin- 
ning to  be  proclaimed  to  the  world,  the  organ- 
izations, now  in  existence,  of  that  race,  malig- 
ned and  slandered,  butchered  and  banished 
for  centuries,  by  the  English  nation,  may  be 
depended  on  to  become  the  main  instrument 
in  the  accomplishment  of  the  work  so  long  de- 
layed —  the  vindication  of  their  slandered  sires; 
and  thereby  place  their  race  for  ever  more  in 
the  proper  light  before  the  world.  Hence  this 
publication  is  dedicated  to  these  organizations 
by  the  author.  P.  J.  Oy  Dely. 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  1' 

RECAPITULATION. 

In  recapitulation  it  can  be  seen  that  the 
criminal  acts  of  the  successive  governments 
of  England  for  centuries,  in  Ireland,  have 
no  parellel  for  severity  in  the  history  of  the 
world. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  persent  English 
ruler,  George  V.  is  not  aware  of  a  twen- 
tieth of  the  inhuman  attrocities  of  his 
predecessors  in  Ireland  and  that  when  he 
becomes  cognisant  of  samples  thereof,  he 
will  be  seized  with  pangs  of  re- 
morse, that  will  give  him  no  peace  of 
mind  until  he  relaxes  the  political  grip  by 
which  Ireland  is  suffering  still  at  the  hands 
of  his  government;  and  thereby  atone  to 
some  extent  for  the  acts  of  his  prede- 
cessors; some  of  whom  yere  of  his  kindred. 

The  value  of  a  knoledge  of  the  Irish 
language  is  such  that  it  will  enable  the 
scholar  to  reach  the  "acme"  in  education, 
a  stage  which  never  can  be  reached,  if 
that  language  were  allowed  to  die.  Not- 
withstanding this  fact.,  the  English  gov- 
ernment in  Ireland,  through  its  West 
British,  and  Seoinin  (show-neen)  elements, 
is  opposed  to  the  Irish  language  revival — 
that  ancient  language,  the  loss  of  which 
would  be  irreparable  to  the  literary  world. 
Thus  the  English  government  stands  an 
abstructionist  to  advancement  in  educa- 
tion. Will  the  English  Crown  head  bear 
this  serious  charge,  before  the  civilized 
world? 

In  fine,  the  claim  of  the  English  Crown 
head,  to  govern  Ireland,  is  based  on  lies. 
First,  the  misrepresentation  of  Ireland  to 


18  THE  IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

the  Pope  of  Rome,  by  Henry  II.  King  of 
England,  who  was  himself  accessory  to  the 
murder  of  Thomas  a  Becket,  Catholic 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  England,  and 
Next,  a  spurious  Bull,  which  he  claimed  was 
given  by  Popa  Adrian  IV.,  to  maintain 
justice  in  Ireland,  from  political  and  Cath- 
olic religious  standpoints.  There  is  food 
for  thought  here  for  his  Majesty  George  V. 


.     THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 
Both  of  Race  and  Language. 

An  Appeal  to    the    Irish   race   in    general    to 
save  the  Irish  Language. 
CHAPTER  I. 

Slanders  of  the  English  nation,  on  the  Irish  race;  their 
object,  nature,  and  universality;  refutation  thereof  by 
Irish  writers. 

After  the  failure  of  Henry  II,  king  of  England,  to 
subdue  Ireland  by  force  of  arms  in  the  12th  century,  it 
was  considered  good  policy  to  make  it  appear  that 
the  Anglo  Norman  invasion  of  Ireland  was  justified  in 
order  to  civilize  the  country.  With  that  object  in  view, 
Geraldus  Cambrenses,  called  by  the  eloquent  Domini- 
can Father  Tom  Burke,  "  Jerry  de  Welchman,"  the 
right  hand  man  of  the  king,came  to  Ireland  with  the 
King's  son  John,  and  commenced  to  write  "The  Topo- 
graphy of  Ireland,"  which  he  finished  in  3  years;  in  a 
couple  of  years  more  he  wrote  a  "History  of  the  Conquest 
of  Ireland,"  in  both  of  which  he  has  slandered  and 
misrepresented  the  Irish  race,  most  foully;  and  made 
it  appear  as  best  he  could,  that  the  invasion  would  be 
a  benefit  to  them. 

Dr.  Lynch  in  his  "Cambrensis  Eversus,"  says  of 
these  works:  "The  virulent  calumnies  levelled  on  the 
Irish,  in  these  productions,  drew  down  some  censure  on 
the  author  immediately  after  their  publicatoin" ; 

As  an  example  of  the  slanders,  he  (Geraldus  Cam- 
brenses) says  that  the  king  of  Kinel-Connail,  the 
O'Donnell,  used  to  be  inaugurated  in  the  following 
manner : 

"All  the  inhabitants  of  his  territory  being  assembled 
on  a  high  hill  in  his  domains  a  white  marc  was  killed 

19 


20  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

and  put  to  boil  in  a  large  cauldron,  in  the  middle  of  a 
field;  when  it  was  sufficiently  boiled,  the  king  used  to 
lap  up  the  broth  with  his  mouth  like  a  hound  or  dog 
and  eat  the  flesh  out  of  his  hand,  without  using  a  knife 
or  any  other  instrument  to  cut  it;  he  then  divided  the 
rest  of  the  flesh  amongst  the  assembly  and  afterwards 
bathed  himself  in  the  broth." 

Dr.  Keating,  after  quoting  this  in  the  Preface  to  his 
History  of  Ireland,  continuing,  says:  "This  is  plainly 
°n  impudent  falsehood  of  Cambrensis,  for  the  annals 
of  Ireland  explicitly  record  the  mode  of  inaugurating 
the   kings   of    'Kinel    Connaill.'     The   ceremony   was 
performed  thus :  'The  king  being  seated  on  a  hill,  in  the 
midst  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  his  own  territory,  one 
of  the  chiefs  of  his  nobles  stood  before  him,  bearing  in 
his  hand  a  straight,  white  wand,  which  he  presented 
to  the  king,  telling  him,  at  the  same  time,  'to  receive 
the  Sovereignty  of  his  country  and  to  preserve  equal  and 
impartial  justice  between  all  portions  of  his  dominions.' ' 
Every    century    since    the    12th    produced    English 
writers  who  followed  the  example  of  Cambrensis,  and 
embellished  his  stories  to  suit  their  own  prejudices;  but 
the  writings  of  all  were  confined  to  manuscripts,  till 
the  17th.  century,  at  the  opening  of  which  Camden,  an 
English  writer,  published  a  compilation  of  all  the  EngUsli 
scribes,  who  preceded  himself;  Cambrensis  included, 
This    work,    entitled    "Our    Ancient    Historians," 
(English  historians,)  contained  all  the  slanders  heaped 
upon  the  Irish  race,  as  well  as  the  other  writings  of  the 
slanderers.    It  is  safe  to  say  that  Camden  omitted  none. 
Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  literature  in  those  days;  and 
Camden   having  a  reputation  through   Europe,   as   a 
scholar,  this  compilation  of  his,  written  in  Latin,    was 
translated  into  all  the  languages  of  continental  Europe; 
and  thereby  the  slanders  penned  by  English  historians, 
on  the  Irish  race,  from  the  12th,  to  the  17th,  century, 
were  placed  before  the  eyes  of  the  European  Continent ; 
and  as  a  consequence  they  have  been  ever  since,  preju- 


THE  IRISH^VINDICATOR.  21 

dicial  to  the  interest  of  the  Irish  race  wherever  Iacated; 
and  will  be  until  such  time  as  they  are  refuted. 

The  publication  of  this  work  by  Camden  even,  did 
not  prevent  the  slanders  from  still  making  their  appear- 
ance; for  we  find  Hume,  the  English  historian  of  the 
18th,  century,  contributing  his  mite  in  substance 
thus:  "The  Irish  from  the  commencement  of  time, 
were  steeped  in  ignorance  and  barbarism.!" 

Camden's  Compilation  was  published  in  Frank- 
fort in  Germany  in  1602  A.  D.,  and  as  soon  as  it  made 
its  appearance  in  Ireland,  Irish  writers  took  up  the  pen 
in  defense  of  the  ancient  Irish,  and  wrote  books  in 
refutation  of  the  slanders. 

Dr.  Keating,  the  Herodotus  of  Ireland,  wrote  a 
history  of  the  country  in  the  Irish  language*and  in  th  e 
Preface  he  makes  the  assertion  that  he  would  never 
have  undertaken  the  work  except  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  proving  the  civilization  of  the  ancient  Irish 
race;  and  thereby  refute  the  slanders  of  English  writers. 

Dr.  Lynch  wrote  his  "Cambrensis  Eversus,"  in  the 
Latin  language;  and  therein  he  proves  "Cambrensis" 
a  falsifier. 

Enough  had  been  said  by  Dr.  Keating  in  the  Preface 
to  his  history,  regarding  the  slanders,  to  move  the 
Gaels,  with  a  fair  share  of  the  spirit  of  their  race,  into 
activity,  (in  the  refutation  thereof;)  but  the  Irish  spirit, 
seemingly,  had  weakened,  and  continued  weakening 
ever  since,  or  the  Irish  language  would  not  be  allowed 
to  decline  as  it  did,  after  Keating's  time;  and  although 
his  history  was  translated  into  English  over  a  century 

*  Here  will  follow,  in  foot  notes,  samples  of  proof  of  the  assertions 
made  herein  regarding  the  value  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  lan- 
guage, from  etymological,  mythological,  and  historical  points  of 
view. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  nor  believed,  that  the  Gaelic 
language  (now  known  in  Ireland  and  among  the  Irish  race  all  over 
the  world,  as  the  Irish  language)  was  the  first  language  of  Europe; 
but  the    analyzation   by    that    language    of    ancient    topograph!- 


22  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

ag°>  yet,  not  one  in  10,000  of  the  Irish  race  today, 
knows  it ;  and  fewer  still  of  the  race,  have  even  heard  of 
the  elaborate  work  of  Dr.  Lynch;  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  it  was  specially  written  in  vindication  of  the 
Irish  race,  and  translated  into  English  over  half  a 
century  ago. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  however,  that  the  Irish 
spirit  weakened  in  Keating's  time,  and  before  and  after 
it;  for  such  acts  of  tyranny  as  were  then  practised  on 
the  people  of  Ireland,  for  the  express  purpose  of  wiping 
them  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  were  never  known  in  the 
world.  Even  the  severity  of  English  tyranny  in  Ire- 
land in  those  days,  will  never  be  known  in  its  entirety. 
Consequently  there  is  a  reason  and  a  strong  one,  for 
the  inactivity  of  the  people  of  Ireland  in  those  days, 
concrrning  the  Irish  lauguage;  it  was  banned  and  pro- 
scribed by  the  English  government;,  and  the  people 
hung,  butchered  and  banished  for  no  crime  only  for 
being  in  existence.  Therefore  it  was  not  of  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Irish  language  they  were  thinking  in  those 
days. 

There  is  however,,  no  excuse  for  the  Irish  race  today, 
for  their  inactivity  in  the  Irish  language  movement, 
at  least  in  free  America. 


cal  names  of  that  continent,  what  no  other  language  can  do,  proves 
the  assertion. 

Example:  "Trianaicia,"  the  ancient  name  of  the  island  of  Sicily 
in  the  Medeterranean  Sea,  means  the  country  or  island  of  the  three 
points;  from  "tri,"  three,  "ac,"  a  point,  and  "ia,"  a  country,  or  an 
island.  "Aicia"  (nikia)  which  means  the  country  or  island  of  the 
points,  was  used  as  a  name  at  first;  and  eventually  the  number  of 
t  he  points  was  designated;  and  therefore,  it  was  called  ""Trianaicia. 

Freeman,  who  wrote  a  history  of  Sicily,  is  at  a  loss  to  know  what 


THE    IRISH    VINDICATOR.  23 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  value  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  lanugage,  and 
familiarity  with  its  literature,  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
Irish  race;  and  also  from  an  educational  point  of  view 

By  means  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  and 
familiarity  with  its  copious  literature,  it  can  be  proved 
that  the  ancestors  of  the  Irish  race,  long  before  the 
coming  of  the  Milesian  Colony  to  Ireland,  laid  the 
foundation  of  Seythian,  Egyptian,  and  European 
civilization,  ages  before  theGreeks,  had  an  existence — 
that  Ollamh  Fodla  (ol-lav  foa-la)  the  great  Irish 
legislator,  established  a  senatorial  form  of  government 
in  Ireland,  in  the  14th,  century,  B.  C,  ages  before  Solon 
or  Lycurgus,  was  born  to  Greece;  and  before  Romulus 
and  Remus  came  into  existence. 

Through  a  knowledge  of  that  same  language  and 
literature,  the  unaccounted  for  percentage  of  the  voca- 
bularies of  the  English,  Greek  and  Latin  languages, 
can  be  explained  etymologically  —  the  percentage  of 
the  vocabularies  of  these  languages  with  false  etymology, 
can  be  corrected  —  the  mystic  veil  can  be  removed 
from  Grecian  and  Roman  mythology  —  items  of  so- 
called  ancient  history  and  geography,  rectified  —  the 
light  of  ancient  history  shed  on  the  era  of  civilization 
that  preceded  that  of  the  Greeks,  and  the  history  of 
the  Irish  race  and  its  ancestors,  can  be  proved  the  most 
ancient  and  authentic  in  the  world. 

rought  the  letter  V  in  the  middle  of  the  word;  but  if  he  knew 
Irish  he  would  know  that  by  a  grammatical  principle  it  was  placed 
before  the  initial  vowel  "a"  of  "aicia,"  when  the  other  part  of  the 
compound  was  -placed  before  it. 

Another  example  is  "Lacedaemonia,"  a  long  valley  surrounded 
on  three  sides  by  mountains,  in  the  south  easterly  district  of  Greece 
It  is  much  in  the  shape  of  a  bowl,  "hollow,"  but  somewhat  elong- 
ated. The  name  took  different  forms  such  as  Laconia,  Laconica 
etc.;  but  Lacedaemon  was  the  original  form,  being  that  used  by 


24  THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

Thus  we  find  the  ancient  Gaels  of  Egypt,  and  of 
continental  Europe,  were  pioneers  in  civilization  from 
time  immemorial;  and  the  civilization  of  their  descen- 
dants in  Ireland,  in  the  days  of  "Ollamh  Fodla,"  and 
for  ages  afterwards,  had  reached  a  stage  that  was  never 
equaled  in  the  world;  as  Irish  literature  and  Irish  laws 
will  prove  today. 

In  "O'Harts'  Irish  Pedegrees,"  appears  an  article 
on  "Ollamh  Fodla"  (ol-lav  foa-la)  the  great  Irish 
lawgiver,  who  flourished  as  Monarch  of  Ireland  in  the 
14th,  century  B.  C,  and  who  established  a  senatorial 
form  of  government  in  Ireland,  the  only  country  on 
the  face  of  the  globe  where  such  a  form  of  government 
existed  then.  In  comparing  the  government  of  "Ol- 
lamh Fodla,"  with  that  of  the  Grecian  lawgivers,  the 
author  (O'Hart)  has  the  following  comment: 

"It  is  remarkable  how  much  men  are  misled  by  names 
of  authority;  for  instance,  the  ancient  lawgivers  of 
Greece  have  been  extolled  for  centuries  as  the  greatest 
sages  of  the  world;  and  every  portion  of  their  labors 
minutely  investigated  and  explained  through  the  ac- 
cident of  their  language  and  philosophy  having  been 
studied  by  the  Romans,  who  led  the  mind  of  Europe  so 
long  before  and  after  the  Christian  era;  while  such 
characters  as  that  of  "Ollamh  Fodla,"  have  been  neglec- 
ted and  despised  through  the  same  caprice  of  custom. 
Those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  them  contend 
that  the  Irish  Annals  are  far  more  perfect  and  trust- 
worthy than  those  of  the  Greeks  and  yet  they  are  utterly 
unheeded. 


Homer.  "They  (the  names)  are  usually  derived  from  a  mythical 
hero,  Lacon  or  Lacedaemon;  but  some  modem  writers  think  that 
the  root  Lac  is  connected  with  Lakos,  Lakkos,  Lacus,  Lacuna 
and  was  given  originally  to  the  central  district  from  its  being  deep 
ly  sunk  between  mountains." 

The  component  parts  of  the  word  are  Irish;  "leaca,"  is  the  cheek , 
or  a  slope  of  a  mountain,  "doimhain,"  or  "doimhin,"  deep,  and 
"ia,"  a  country;  meaning  the  country  of  the  deep  cheek,  or  slope 
of  a  mountain.     The  Greeks  gave  the  aspirated  "m"  in  the  Irish 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  25 

"If  we  were  to  compare  the  labors  of  'Ollamh  Fodla,' 
with  those  of  Lykourgus  (or  Lycurgus)  and  Solon  (who 
came  into  existence  5  or  6  centuries  later)  we  think  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  prove  their  great  superiority 
in  all  that  is  truly  estimable.  His  system  of  govern- 
ment was  as  remarkable  for  its  enlarged  liberal  and 
gentle  adaptation  to  the  wants  and  interests  of  the  people 
and  its  encouragement  and  cultivation  of  their  highest 
qualities,  as  theirs  was  for  an  arbitrary,  limited  and 
harsh  policy,  which  aimed  at  repressing  the  most  amiable 
attributes  of  man's  nature  and  only  fostered  his  sterner 
and  least  estimable  feelings.  His  was  fitted  for  all 
mankind;  theirs,  but  for  a  small  community. 

"Owing  to  the  internal  dissensions  of  the  state,  the 
operation  of  his  system  was  interrupted  for  some  time 
after  his  death;  but  was  revived  in  precisely  the  same 
form,  and  continued  unchanged  in  its  chief  points  for 
many  centuries:  thus  excelling  even  that  of  Greece  in 
point  of  permanency." 

Nevertheless,  owing  to  the  slanders  of  the  English 
nation  since  the  12th  century,  the  universal  belief  today 
is  that  the  ancient  Irish  were  barbarians;  and  in 
the  absence  of  any  effort  by  the  Irish  race  to  refute  those 
slanders,  since  Dr.  Keating s  time,  the  masses  o]  the 
Irish  people  themselves,  at  present,  and  for  some  time 
past,  as  is  natural  to  expect,  take  it  for  granted  that 
English    writers  told  the  truth  regarding  the  Irish  race! 

Is  not  this  a  deplorable  state  of  affairs;  the  masses 
of  the  Irish  people,  wherever  located,  believing  in  the 
calumnies  heaped  upon  their  ancestors  for  centuries, 

word  for  deep,  its  radical  sound. 

Also,  another  example  is  ' '  Charybdis,"  a  name  in  Grecian 
literature  for  a  whirlpool  near  the  east  coast  of  Sicily,  which  was 
considered  very  dangerous  to  boats  in  the  palmy  days  of  Greece 
anc\  Rome.  It  istlerived  from  two  Irish  words  "caire,"  a  cauld- 
ron and  "badh"  (bau)  a  bay,  or  arm  of  the  sea.  In  this  whirl- 
pool the  water  is  agitated  the  same  as  boiling  water  in  a  kettle  or 
pot;  so  that  it  gut  a  suitable  name,  "bay  cauldron." 

Take  the  termination  "is"   which  is   peculiarly  Grecian  from 


26 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 


and  the  same  idea  still  prevailing  in  consequence  of  their 
own  unnatural  indifference  towards  the  language  and 
literature  of  their  race. 


the  word  and  you  have  "charybd,"  "bd"  of  which  is  contracted 
from  "badh,"  a  bay;  the  "d"  final  of  "badh"  having  got  its 
radical  sound,  and  the  "a"  being  omitted.  The  English  word 
"bay",  an  arm  of  the  sea,  is  an  Anglecised  form  of  the  Irish  word 
"badh"  (bau)  "y"  being  used  in  place  of  the  "d"  aspirated,  or 
"dh"  in  the  Irish  word.  But  English  lexicographers  say  it  (bay) 
is  contracted  from  the  root  of  Sax.  "bygle,"  an  angle.  This  is 
an  example  of  how  English  etymologists  deprived  the  Irish  Ian- 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  27 


CHAPTER  III. 

An  appeal  to  the  sea-divided  Gaels,  to  vindicate 
their  slandered  sires,  by  the  perservation  of  the  Irish 
language  —  to  the  existing  organizations  theroef,  to 
take  the  initiative  steps  therefor.  English  education- 
alists supporting  the  slanders  of  Cambrensis  and  Co. 
Gaelic  mainly  instrumental  in  building  up  the  English 
vocabulary. 

Let  there  be  a  halt  called  to  this,  though  non-cogni- 
sant, slavish  course  of  the  race.  Let  the  sea-divided 
Gaels,  wake  up  to  a  sense  of  tlieir  duty  towards  the  vin- 
dication of  their  slandered  Sires  —  towards  tJie  removal 
of  the  stigma  resulting  from  the  calumnies  of  the  past, 
from  themselves  and  their  descendants;  and  towards 
the  educational  advancement  of  the  nations  with  whom 
they  have  been  identified;  while  the  means  wherewith  to 
accomplish  these  ends,  are  still  at  their  disposal  —  the 
Irish  language  and  its  literature. 

Let  the  existing  organizations  of  the  race  throughout 
the  world  take  the  initiative  steps  in  this  laudable 
movement  —  let  them  make  the  movement  what  it 
should  be,  as  they  are  equipped  for  the  work,  being 
orgainzed  —  let  them  show  their  patriotism  and  pride 
of  race;  and  prove  them,  by  flinging  the  banner  of 
''vindication"  to  the  breeze,  and  let  the  wealthy  and 
well  to-do  elements  of  the  race,  outside  of  organiza- 

guage  of  the  credit  due  to  it  for  building  up  the  Anglo  Saxon  tongue 
and  its  superstructure  the  English  language. 

The  ancien^  language  of  the  Gael  had  received  cultivation  be- 
fore it  came  to  Europe,  and  when  the  dialects  which  sprang  from 
it  eventually,  in  that  coontinent,  commenced  to  receive  cultivation 
they  did  not  adapt  themselyes,  as  a  rule  to  the  aspirate,  or  second- 
ary sound  system  of  the  ancient  alphabet,  which  consisted  of  16 
letters;    and  later  17,  by  the  addition  of  "p" — closed  f — to  the 


28  THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

tions,  see  to  it  that  the  practical  workers  for  the  ends 
aimed  at,  do  not  stand  in  need  of  any  financial  aid. 

Even  the  educational  department  of  the  English 
nation  labored  strenuously  to  support  the  historical 
department  in  multiplying  the  slanders  on  the  Irish 
race,  and  in  maintaining  them  as  truth,  and  they  have 
well  succeeded  so  far. 

When  the  Anglo  Saxons  came  to  Britain  in  449  A.  D. 
they  were  illiterate,  and  the  Irish  being  far  advanced 
in  civilization  then,  took  compassion  on  this  unlettered 
people,  to  the  extend  that  they  taught  them  the  alphabet 
the  Irish  alphabet  —  and  educated  their  youth,  and 
the  literary  inclined  of  their  race,  for  several  centuries 
afterwards,  in  the  institutions  of  learning  in  Ireland, 
free  of  charge. 

During  those  centuries  that  the  Anglo  Saxons,  and 
also  the  early  English  were  educated  in  Ireland,  by  the 
thousands,  they  were  borrowing  from  the  copious 
vocabulary  of  the  Irish  language,  to  supply  the  deficien- 
cy in  their  own  limited  vocabulary.  We  may  infer 
from  this  fact  that  the  Gaelic,  or  Irish  language  was 
mainly  instrumental  in  building  up  the  Anglo  Saxon 
tongue,  and  its  superstructure  the  English  language 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  "middle  ages." 

No  such  intercourse,  as  that  with  the  Irish,  existed 
between  the  Anglo  Saxons  and  early  English,  and  any 
other  people,  that  spoke  Latin  and  Greek  either  as 
living  or  dead  languages,  except  the  intercourse  they 
had  with  these  tongues,  in  the  Catholic  Church,  as 
dead  languages;  and  that  naturrally  limited  the  bor- 

original  number;  and  as  a  consequence  new  letters  were  invented 
to  represent  the  secondary  sounds  of  the  nine  mutable  consonants 
of   the  original  alphabet. 

Then  came  into  existence  "v'\  "w,"  "y"  etc.;  in  the  lan- 
guages of  Europe.  The  loss  of  the  Irish  language  —  the  only 
language  which  has  preserved  the  original  alphabet  —  would  there 
fore  be  detrimental  to  all  the  languages  of  Europe;  more  parti- 
cularly to  the  English  language,  whose  vocabulary  was  mainly 
made  up  from  it;  during  the  major  part  of  the  "middle  ages." 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR.  29 

rowing  power  of  the  Anglo  Saxons  and  early  English 
from  Latin  and  Greek,  to  church  literature. 

Notwithstanding  these  facts,  English  lexicographers 
have  votunleered  the  information  that  the  English 
language  was  mainly  made  up  from  Latin  and  Greek. 
This  was  part  and  parcel  of  the  slanders  inaugurated 
by  Geraldus  Cambrensis,  in  the  12th,  century  at  the 
instigation,  it  is  said,  of  Henry  II.  King  of  England. 

The  Gaelic  was  the  first  language  of  Europe;  and  as 
a  consequence  all  the  languages  that  sprang  up  in  the 
European  continent,  since  the  advent  of  the  Gaelic 
thereinto,  are  dialects  thereof.  The  Greek  and  Latin, 
therefore,  being  dialects  of  the  Gaelic,  contain,  as  is 
natural  to  expect,  a  large  percentage  of  the  word-ma- 
terial therein;  So  English  etymologists,  in  arranging 
the  etymology  of  their  own  language;  with  their  minds 
made  up  to  misrepresent  the  Gaelic  language,  and 
thereby  support  the  slanders  of  Cambrensis  and  Co., 
gave  to  the  Latin  and  Greek,  the  credit  due  to  the 
Gaelic,  or  Irish  language,  for  building  up  the  English 
vocabulary. 

It  does  not  require  a  great  amount  of  reasoning 
power  to  understand  the  invalidity  of  English  etymolo- 
gists, in  thus  exposing  themselves  to  criticism,  by  giving 
credit  to  Greek  and  Latin,  in  the  absence  of  any  inter- 
course by  their  people  with  those  who  spoke  Greek  and 
Latin,  except  through  the  medium  of  the  Catholic 
church;  and  then  only  with  those  who  spoke  them  as 
dead  languages;  while  their  intercourse  with  those 
who  spoke  the  parent  of  Greek  and  Latin,  as  a  living 
language,  was  to  the  extent  that  they  were  educated 
therein  jor  several  centuries  in  Ireland. 

From  facts  already  stated;  it  must  be  admitted  that  all  words 
in  the  English Janguage  which  contain  any  of  these  new  letters, 
require  explanation  as  to  the  form,  or  value  of  the  letters  that  ori- 
ginally held  the  places  which  these  modern  letters  now  occupy. 
Here  the  English  etymologist  is  at  sea  without  a  knowledge  of  the 
Irish  language;  and  hence  the  false  etymologies  so  common  in  the 
vocabulary  of  the  English  language. 


30  THE  IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

There  are  today  over  5000  words  of  the  English 
vocabulary  unaccounted  for  by  lexicographers;  and 
perhaps  as  many  more  among  the  doubtful,  and  also 
a  large  percentage  with  false  etymology;  and  why 
should  this  be  so,  if  the  English  vocabulary,  as  they 
tell  us,  was  mainly  made  up  from  Latin  and  Greek  ? 
The  fact  is,  the  literary  world  has  been  deceived  by 
English  educationalists  in  their  efforts  to  support  the 
slanders  of  the  English  historians,  regarding  the  Irish 
race,  and  as  a  result  the  onward  march  of  the  Gaelic, 
or  Milesian  civilization  has  been  woefully  retarded  for 
seven  centuries. 


Following  are  samples  of  words  in  use  in  the  English  language, 
with  false  etymology,  or  with  none  at  all;  or  only  partially  explained: 

"Academy"  a  school  of  education,  which  the  Greeks  tell  us,  is 
derived  from  "Academus,"  the  owner  of  the  grove  in  which  Plato 
instructed  his  pupils  in  Greece,  in  the  fifth  century  B.  C.  The 
name  cannot  be  analyzed  in  Greek,  nor  in  any  other  language 
except  in  Irish,  which  is  a  strong  indication  that  it  came  originally 
from  that  source.  It  is  from  "acaidh,"  an  abode  or  habitation; 
and  "damn"  (dauv)  a  learned  man;  or  of  learned  men,  being  a 


THE   IRISH   VINDICAROT.  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Condemnation  of  the  false  doctrine  of  English  ety- 
mologists. The  duty  devolving  on  the  organizations 
of  the  Irish  race,  to  save  the  Irish  language;  and  also  on 
the  representative  press  of  the  race.  The  indifference 
of  the  Irish  towards  their  language  and  lierature, 
ls  criminal. 
|  It  is  about  time,  that  this  false  doctrine,  which  has 
been  promulgated  so  long,  and  so  far  a  barrier  in  the 
way  of  progress  in  the  educational  line,  in  the  world 
should  be  condemned;  the  truth  proclaimed,  and  this 
venerable  language  of  antiquity,  recognized  and  en- 
couraged. 

Under  such  circumstances,  as  herein  developed  so  far, 
can  any  organized  body  of  the  Irish  race  point  out  any 
object  other  than  the  one  by  which  a  livelihood  is  obtained 
that  should  take  precedence  of  that  for  the  vindication 
of  the  race  to  which  its  members  belong]  and  whose  foul 
misrepresentations  are  spread  all  over  Europe, 
within  the  last  few  centuries'?  Let  each  organi- 
zation of  the  Irish  race,  wherever  located,  answer  this 
question  for  itself. 

The  indifference  of  the  Irish,  as  a  race,  towards  the 
preservation  of  the  Irish  language,  concerning  which 
there  is  so  much  at  stake  from  the  race  standpoint,  is, 
not  only  a  shame  and  a  disgrace,  it  is  a  crime.  This 
indifference  is  growing  stronger  every  day;  the  Irish 

noun  of  the  first  declension.  Both  words  compounded  make  "aca- 
damh"  (akadauv,)  the  aspirated  "d"  of  'acaidh"  being  eliminated 
—  meaning  the  abode  or  habitation  of  a  learned  man;  or  of  learned 
men.)  By  giving  the  "m"  its  radical  sound,  and  adding  the  ter- 
mination "ia.'^we  have  the  Latin  form  of  the  word,  "academla;" 
and  by  adding  "y"  we  have  the  English  form  "academy." 

The  Greeks,  a  long  time  before  this,  have  been  accused  of  in- 
venting the  names  of  persons,  places  and  things  from  which  to 
derive  their  language,  when  the.  language  itself  was  unable  to  make 
the  analyzation. 


32  THE   IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

language  is  fading  fast ;  and  its  loss  would  be  irreparable 
to  the  vindication  of  the  Irish  race:  and  the  elevation 
of  nations  from  an  educational  point  of  view. 

Therefore,  let  the  organizations  of  the  race,  all  over 
the  world,  be  a  party  to  this  indifference  no  longer;  let 
them  proclaim  the  slogan  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Irish  as  a  living  language;  let  them  devote  a  portion 
of  the  time  at  meetings,  for  obtaining  by  all  possible 
means,  a  practical  knowledge  thereof. 

Let  each  organization  of  the  race,  wherever  located, 
appoint  an  Irish  language  Committee  of  5  members, 
to  conduct  the  language  movement  for  the  body;  with 
power  to  add  to  its  number  from  time  to  time;  those 
best  calculated  for  aiding  the  movement;  let  a  portion 
of  the  time  at  regular  meetings  be  devoted  to  the  langua- 
ge; and  meetings  held  oftener  by  the  committee  in  the 
interest  of  the  language  as  soon  as  advisable. 

Let  a  special  fund  be  established  by  every  organiza- 
tion, and  placed  in  charge  of  its  own  Treasurer,  for 
the  use  of  the  language  committee  only;  and  let  the 
committee  report  progress,  quarterly,  to  the  organi- 
zation. Some  Societies  may  not  have  Irish  speakers, 
or  Irish  scholars  among  them,  but  they  can  be  secured 
by  paying  them  for  their  services.f  This  is  partly 
what  the  "special"  funds  are  for;  and  now  comes  the 

f  The  absence  of  practicle  speakers  of  the  Irish  language 
in  societies  and  communities,  for  teaching  Irish  is  now  hap- 
pily supplied  by  the  Irish-speaking  phonograph  established  in 
the  College  of  Irish  Gaelic  in  Sqranton,  Pennsylvania,  last 
year, — 1909;  and  another  by  the  Gaelophone  Co.  of  New 
Hav^n,  Conn. 

"Amazon,"  is  another  word  to  which  the  Greeks  gave  a  false 
etymology:  "a"  without,  and  "mazos"  the  breast;  meaning 
without  a  breast.  A  legend  was  coined  which  stated  that  those 
Amazons,  or  women  soldiers,  destroyed  the  left  breast,  in  order 
the  better  to  be  able  to  shoot  the  arrow  therefrom;  but  the  legend 
was  exploded  a  long  time  ago,  as  the  Amazons  are  represented  by 
the  artists  of  their  day,  as  perfect  as  any  other  women.  The  Cen- 
tury Dictionary  says  it  is  a  foreign  word  of  unknown  meaning;  that 
is  its  etymology.     It  was  derived  from  "amus"  an  Irish  word  for 


THE   IRISH   VINDICATOR  33 

field  for  the  utilization  of  the  practical  speakers  of  the 
language;  and  the  opportunity  for  placing  a  value  on 
a  knowledge  of  that  language  which  has  been  banned 
and  proscribed  for  centuries,  and  for  demonstrating 
the  patriotsim  and  pride  of  race  of  the  contributors 
to  the  funds  as  well  as  the  members  of  the  organizations. 

This  action  of  the  organizations  of  the  Irish  race,  in 
place  of  being  any  barrier  to  the  original  objects  threeo), 
will  demonstrate  their  usefulness;  and  as  a  consequence, 
their  ranks  will  swell  with  the  element  heretofore  in- 
different concerning  them;  and  thereby  tlieir  energies 
and  usefulness  will  increase  all  round. 

The  vindication  of  the  race  so  much  maligned  and 
so  long  neglected  is  a  Sacred  duty.  Now  is  the  time 
for  millionaires  of  the  Irish  race  or  of  any  other  race 
to  immortalize  their  names  by  contributing  freely  as 
plenty  of  financial  aid  will  ensure  success  in  the  pre- 
servation of  the  Irish  language. 

How  can  the  Irish  be  preserved  a  spoken  language 
in  communities  where  only  a  few  comparatively  are 
able  to  speak  it?  Answer.  By  utilizing  that  "few"  by 
every  possible  means  in  transmitting  a  knowledge  of 
the  language  to  others;  and  securing  an  Irish -speaking 
Phonograph  where  Irish  speakers  could  not  be  had. 

The  masses  of  the  Irish  race  heretofore,  have  been 
careless  concerning  the  Irish  language,  for  the  reason 
that  they  knew  not  its  value  from  any  point  of  view, 
nor  the  duty  that  devolved  upon  them  in  connection 
therewith.  Now  that  some  light  has  been  shed  as  to 
the  value  of  a  knowledge  of  the  language,  let  the  re- 

a  soldier;  and  "bean,"  a  woman.  In  the  union  of  both  words 
the  initial  "b"  of  "bean,"  became  asperated,  and  eliminated; 
and  the  "s"  made  '*z"  by  the  Greeks  to  suit  the  legend. 

"Bacon",  the  flesh  of  Swine,  cannot  be  analyzed  in  English* 
The  great  London*  Dictionary,  on  Historic  Principles,  commenced 
half  a  century  ago,  and  is  not  half  finished  yet,  says  it  is  to  be  found 
in  EngHsh  literature  of  the  13th,  or  14th,  century,  in  the  form  "ba- 
coun;"  but  knows  nothing  of  its  derivation.  It  comes  from  2 
Irish  words  "bac"  a  hog,  and  fc"un"  flenh  "bacun,"  hog  flesh. 


34  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

preservative  press  of  the  race  everywhere,  advocate  the 
language  movement,  and  enlighten  the  people  as  to 
their  responsibility  relative  to  this  national  heirloom 
of  their  ancestors ;  the  only  means  left  them  for  the  vin- 
dication of  the  race  and  the  preservation  of  Irish  nation- 
ality. And  as  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  is  of 
inestimable  value  from  an  educational  point  of  view,  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  American  Press  in  general,  to  aid  and 
encourage  the  movement. 

The  papers  that  want  to  advance  this  movement  will 
publish  simple  lessons  in  Irish,  at  least  once  a  week,, 
for  the  use  of  the  "language  Committees"  of  the  or- 
ganizations, and  have  them  in  the  every-day  letter  which 
every  one  knows. 

To  commence  with,  let  the  names  of  objects,  small 
and  large,  in  a  household,  be  collected,  and  a  short 
phrase  framed  around  each,  as,  for  example,  "Ta  an 
bord  fada,"  the  table  is  long.  "Las  an  lompa;"  light 
the  lamp  .  A  beginner  can  thus  talk  intellegently 
about  "table,"  and  "lamp;"  and  so  on  with  all  the 
other  objects,  by  coining  a  short  expression  for  each. 

Let  School  Children  be  assembled  Saturday  after- 
noon, for  an  hour  or  longer,  in  the  parochial  School, 
the  public  School,  or  in  a  hall,  and  let  a  practical  speaker 
of  the  language  read  these  short  Irish  expressions  for 
them  from  the  paper,  and  they  wont  be  long  picking 
them  up. 

No  person  can  say  that  the  course  outlined  here  is 
impracticable,  All  that  is  necessary  is  some  practical 
speakers  of  the  language  and  some  money.    The  former 

It  has  been  the  tendency  in  all  languages  to  supply  the  softer  con- 
sonants for  the  harder  ones  of  the  same  class;  so  for  a  long  time 
'  *g"  has  taken  the  place  of  "c"  in  this  word  among  Irish-speakers 
and  writers — "bagun." 

" Cadmus:"  this  is  the  name  of  the  man  who  is  said  by  some 
to  have  brought  letters  into  Greece,  from  Phonecia;  others  say 
from  other  places;  neither  can  those  so-called  ancient  writers  agree 
as  to  the  period  in  which  this  map  flourished.    Helis  said  in  Irish 


THE  IRISH   VINDICATOR.  35 

are  to  tbe  had  in  all  large  centres  of  population  through- 
out the  United  States,  Canada,  Australia,  South  America 
and  wherever  Irishman  are  to  be  found,  or  get  an  Irish 
phonograph;  and  the  latter  can  be  had  through  the 
"special"  funds  of  the  organizations.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  the  "special"  funds  will  be  swollen  not 
only  by  those  of  the  race  that  can  best  afford  it,  and 
whose  business  may  not  allow  them  to  be  otherwise 
active  in  the  vindication  movement;  but  also,  by  all 
shades  of  worthy   American   citizens. 

Let  those  unable  to  speak  Irish,  but  who  desire  to 
become  practical  speakers  thereof,  make  themselves 
throughly  familiar  first,  with  the  assertive  forms  of  the 
verb  to  be,  present,  "ta,  is;  past,  "bhi°  (vee,)  was;  and 
future  "beidh"  (b  e-i)  will  be.  It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  thatjJie^verbbegins  the  sentence  in  Irish^as  a  rule. 
As  soon  as  an  assertive  idea  in  English,  strikesthe  mind, 
they  can  use  "ta",  "bhi,"  or  "beidh,"  to  start  with, 
for  a  transaction,  according  as  the  idea  is  present, 
past,  or  future. 

To  render  the  English  expression,  "the  day  is  fine," 
into  Irish,  it  can  be  seen  that  it  is  the  present  tense, 
therefore,  "ta"  or  "is"  must  be  used  and  it  begins  the 
translation;  next  comes  the  definite  article,  "an"  and 
the  noun  "day,"  "la"  follows,  and  the  qualifying  word 
"fine,"  "breagh  "  after  it;  so  the  translation  is  "ta 
an  la  breagh."  By  a  careful  examination  of  these 
simple  expressions  it  can  be  seen  that  by  taking  the 
Irish  first,  there  are  certain  rules  governing  the  cons- 
trustion  of  the  English  lranstation.     The  definite  article 

History  to  be  the  chief  druid  or  high  priest  of  the  Gaelic  colony 
that  came  from  Egypt  to  the  island  of  Crete,  South  of  Greece,  a 
few  centuries  before  2000  years  B.  C. 

The  Irish  language  gives  a  plausible  derivation  of  the  name 
"cad"  means  high,  or  holy,  and  •'damn"  (dauv)  a  learned  man 
In  the  union  of  both  the  initial  "d"  of  "damn,"  becomes  as- 
pirated and  eliminated;  and  "m"  gets  its  radical  sound,  thus: 
"cadam."f  This  compound,  with  the  classic  termination  "us," 
and  contracted  a  little,  becomes    "Cadmus,"   which  mean  high, 


36  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

if  expressed  in  the  original,  comes  first,  next  the  noun, 
then  the  verb,  and  the  qualifying  word  or  words  after. 
Thus  by  degrees  and  by  careful  attention,  non-speak- 
ers of  Irish  can  become  practical  speakers  thereof. 

There  are  two  forms  of  the  verb  tobe,  assertive  present 
in  the  Irish  language;  "ta"  and  "is."  This  second 
form  in  Irish  is  the  one  used  in  English.  Of  the  two 
Irish  forms,  "is"  is  the  more  assertive. 


or  holy,  learned  man,  a  character  which  he  must  possess  in  order  to 
be  chief  druid. 

"Cover;"  something  placed  over  an  object  to  conceal  it  from 
view.  The  Great  London  Dictionary  occupies  over  two  pages  in 
trying  to  explain  it,  etymologically;  but  knows  nothing  of  its  com- 
ponent parts.  The  word  is  from  the  Irish  "Cob,"  a  pall  or  cloak: 
and  from  "bar,"  (baur)  an  Irish  word  for  top,  or  upper  part. 

In  the  union  of  both  words  the  "b"  initial  of  "bar,"  becomes 
aspirated,  taking  the  sound  of  "v,"  or  "w,"  and  "b"  final  of 


THE   IRISH  VINDICATOR,  37 


CHAPTER  V. 

:  Regret  that  the  Romans  did  not  invade  Ireland. 
Suppression  of  Irish  civilization  by  the  English  nation. 
Embers  of  that  civilization  yet  existing  in  every  tongue 
that  speaks  the  Irish  language.  A  suggestion  to  collect 
them  together  in  their  respecsive  communities,  and  lay 
the  foundation  for  the  resuscitation  of  the  grandest 
civilization  that  ever  existed  in  the  world.  Duty  of 
Irish-speaking  parents  to  use  the  Irish  language  in  the 
household.  Prizes  in  money  to  children  who  can  talk 
the  Irish  language;  and  to  others  for  proficinecy  in  a 
knowledge  thereof. 

The  Irish  take  pride  in  being  able  to  say  that  the 
Roman  legions  did  not  set  foot  on  Irish  soil,  although 
being  in  Britain  for  over  400  years.  It  may  be  a  cause 
of  regret,  however,  and  loss  to  the  literary  world,  and 
to  civilization  in  general  that  Agricola,  the  Roman 
general  of  Britain  did  not  invade  Ireland  when  he  pre- 
pared for  it  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  ear; 
for  it  is  natural  to  expect  that  the  Romans  would  have 
done  in  Ireland  what  they  did  in  Greece,  to  encourage 
the  study  of  the  language  and  literature  of  that  country. 

This  demonstrates  the  civilization  of  the  Romans 
when  they  invaded  Greece;  but  unfortuatetely  for 
Ireland,  and  for  progress  in  civilization,  the  invasion 
thereof  was  reserved  for  a  people  who  were  so  barbarous 

'cob"  is  eliminated.  Then  we  have  "cobar,"  with  the  aspirate 
mark  on  the  "b",  and  by  using  "▼,"  in  place  of  that  "b."  and 
making  "e"  of  "a,"  we  have  the  word  as  used  today  in  the  English 
language. 

The  fact  that  the  old  Spanish  and  old  French  languages  have 
"b"  in  the  middle  of  this  word,  sustains  the  Irish  derivation. 

This  vocabulary  could  be  continued  in  alphabetical  order,  and 
mutliplied;  for  it  is  safe  to  say  that  on  an  average,  every  alternate 
folio  of  the  English  Dictionary,  can  supply  material  for  revision; 


38  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

that  they  did  not  appreciate  the  value  of  the  civilization 
they  found  therein,  and  as  a  consequence,  they  commen- 
ced the  suppression  thereof. 

But  although  it  is  7  centuries  since  the  suppression 
of  Irish  civilization  was  commenced  by  Henry  II,  king 
of  England;  and  his  successors  ever  since,  up  to  ana 
including  the  present  government,  have  followed  in 
his  footsteps  to  complete  the  suppression,  yet,  in  spue 
of  their  endeavours  for  7  hundred  years,  there  exists 
today  warm  embers  of  that  civilization  in  every  tongue 
that  speaks  the  Irish  language.  Let  the  Irish  race 
therefore,  bring  these  embers  together  in  their  respect- 
ive communities,  foster  them,  and  lay  the  foundation 
for  the  resuscitation  of  the  grand  civilization  of  their 
ancestors  —  the  grandest  that  ever  existed  in  the  world 
and  thereby  vindicate  the  race  and  elevate,  educationally 
the  nations  with  whom  they  are  connected,  to  a  stage 
which  they  could  have  never  reached  otherwise. 

The  most  valuable  members  of  the  Irish  race  today, 
for  the  accomplishment  of  these  ends,  are  the  Irish- 
speaking  parents;  on  them  alone,  with  the  other  cus- 
todians of  the  language,  depends  its  preservation  and 
the  salvation  of  the  race.  Let  that  element  therejore,  be 
utilized  by  every  possible  means. 

This  important  duty,  inaugurated  in  the  17th,  cen- 
tury, by  Drs.  Keating,  Lyuch,  and  others,  has  been 
delayed  for  3  centuries,  owing  to  circumstances;  but 
now  it  calls  on  the  race  for  a  united  action  before  it  is 
too  late.  Will  any  member  thereof  be  found  wanting? 
Let  Irish-speaking  parents  wherever   located,   com- 

but  our  limited  space  here,  calls  for  some  of  the  most  important 
Samples. 

"Academy,"  and  "Amazon,"  have  a  false  etymology;  Dm  the 
Greeks  are  responsible  therefor.  They  are  not,  however,  respon- 
sible for  numerous  false  etymologies  we  have  in  our  English  Dic- 
tionaries, one  of  which  is  that  of  "woman";  also  "Soldier,"  two 
very  common  names  in  the  world;  and  to  make  a  trio,  will  add 
"man,"  a  name  that  is  also  very  common  on  this  round  shell  of 
the  universe.  But  the  derivation  of  it  is  not  known  by  our 
scholars,  because  they  know  not  the  Irish  language. 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  39 

mence  with  the  new  year  (1911)  and  continue  hencefor- 
ward to  make  general  use  of  the  Irish  anguage  in  the 
household,  so  that  their  children  will  become  practical 
speakers  therof.  By  this  means  these  children  wil} 
produce  successful  candidates  for  High  Schools  and 
Colleges,  and  for  Hibernian  Scholarships,  and  event- 
ually will  produce  the  element  that  will  revise  and 
correct  our  distionaries  of  the  English,  Latin,  and  Greek 
languages  —  that  will  explain  the  secrets  of  mythology, 
and  correct  items  of  history  and  geography  in  the  an- 
cient world. 

Let  the  "language  committees"  give  small  prizes  in 
money,  quarterly,  to  the  children  of  members,  under 
7  years  who  can  talk  the  Irish  language,  prizes  semi- 
annually., to  higher  grades  for  proficiency  in  the  lan- 
guage; and  annually,  for  proficiency  therein  in  each 
district  of  a  city  or  town.  There  is  no  better  way  for 
encouraging  the  movement  than  these  prizes;  so  that 
the  contributors  to  the  "special"  funds  may  consider 
themselves  of  great  value  for  aiding  in  the  preservation 
of  the  language. 


"Mo"  is  an  Irish  name  for  man.  By  using  the  possessive 
pronoun  singular  'mo"  my,  before  it,  the  initial  "m"  will  take  a 
secondary  sound,  that  of  "w,"  as  for  example  "mo  mho,"  (mu 
woa)  my  man,  o*  husband.  A  feminine  termination  in  Irish  is 
"mon,"  corresponding  with  "ess"  in  English;  as  in  princess, 
the  female  of  prince;  so  by  adding  "mon"  to  "wo,"  a  man,  we 
have,  "womon,"  the  female  of  man.  "Mo"  aman,  is  the  root 
of  the  Latin  "homo," 

"Soldier,"  a  man  who  serves  or  fights  for  pay;  and  is  so-called, 


40  THE  IRISH   VINDICATOR, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Irish  writers  in  embellishing  the  story  of  the  travels  of 
their  ancestors,  from  Scythia  to  Ireland,  before  the  geog- 
raphy of  the  world  became,  generally  known  were  led 
astray,  by  following  Grecian  writers.  Absurdities  crept 
into  the  "story"  in  consequence  thereof.  Samples 
of  the  "absurdities."  The  "absurdities"  caused  the 
Irish  race  to  lose  faith  in  their  ancient  history  since  the 
geography  of  the  world  became  generally  known. 
Removal  and  explanation  of  the  "absurdities,"  through 
a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language,  in  "The  Travels  of 
the  Gaels,"  not  yet  published.  A  knowledge  of  the 
Irish  language  and  literature  will  revolutionize  the 
literary  world  and  place  the  Irish  race  foremost  in 
civilization,  in  by  gone  days,  with  the  history  of  that 
race,  and  ancestors,  the  most  ancient  and  authentic 
in  the  world. 

Irish  writers  —  those  who  wrote  in  the  Irish  language 
in  Ireland,  during  the  centuries  from  the  10th,  to  the 
15th,  compiled  elaborate  books,  collecting  therein 
various  subjects,  and  scattered  manuscripts,  that  had 
been  written  for  centuries  past.  A  number  of  these 
books  still  exists,  such  as  the  Book  of  Bellymote;  Book 
of  Leinster;  Book  of  Munster;  Book  of  Leacan;  Book 
of  the  Dun  Cowj.  &c.  Some  of  these  great  books  were 
published  through  the  Photo-zinco-graphing  process, 

we  are  told  from  *'sol,"  or  "solidus,"  a  coin  among  the  Romans, 
n  which  the  Roman  soldiers  were  paid.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  men  fought  for  pay  ages  before  the  Romans  had  an  existence. 
The  first  fighting  outside  of  the  hand  to  hand  fisticuff,  or  missiles, 
was  arrow  shooting;  and  this  system  was  in  vogue  thousands  or 
years  before  Romilus  and  Remus  were  born. 

"Soighead,"  is  an  Irish  name  for  arrow;  and  "Soigheadoir" 
for  the  man  who  shoots  the  arrow;  and  he  was  the  first  fighter  that 
did  service  for  pay,  ages  before  the  time  of  the  Roman  Empire 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  41 

at  the  expense  of  the  British  government;  but  no  trans- 
lation of  them. 

Among  the  ancient  documents  inserted  into  some 
of  these  books,  was  the  story  of  the  travels  of  the  Gaels 
before  coming  to  Ireland.  Ollamh  Fodla,  the  great 
Irish  legislator,  who  florished  in  the  14th,  century, 
B.  C,  is  said  to  have  writen  this  "story"  with  his  own 
hands.  So  also  did  other  Irish  leaders  in  Pre  Christian 
Ireland. 

The  compilers  of  these  great  books,  undertook  to 
embellish  the  "story,"  by  following  Grecian  geographers 
and  historians,  and  that  at  a  time  before  the  geography 
of  the  world  became  generally  known.  As  a  result  of 
taking  as  authority  Grecian  writers  who  did  not  exist 
for  a  thousand  years,  or  more,  after  the  time  of  the 
Gaels  in  Scythia,  and  Southern  Europe,  Irish  writers 
went  completely  on  the  wrong  track;  and  as  a  conse- 
quence, "absurdities"  crept  into  the  "story." 

A  sample  of  the  "absurdities"  was  that  Asia  (the 
continent)  was  circumnavigated  by  the  Gaels.  Another 
was  that  the  Gaels,  being  in  Southern  Europe,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Italy,  traveling  in  boats,  are  placed  in 
the  next  breadth,  in  the  Baltic  Sea,  in  the  North  of 
Europe. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  those  "absurdities"  met  with  in 
Keating's  history  of  Ireland  after  the  geography  of 
the  world  became  generally  known,  discouraged  Irish 
writers  from  prosecuting  the  refutation  of  the  slanders 
on  the  lines  laid  out  by  Drs.  Keating,  Lynch,  and  others; 
or  on  any  other  lines;  and  as  a  consequence  the  labors 

and  its  coins.  The  ancient  French  language  has  no  "1"  in  the 
word;  so  that  English  etymologists  went  out  of  their  way  to  give 
credit  where  it  was  not  due. 

"Man,"  the  male  human  being;  where  was  the  name  found; 
or  where  did  it  originate?  The  London  English  Dictionary  de- 
votes 5  pages  to  the  name,  but  does  not  know  where  it  came  from. 

This  longstanding  prejudice  against  the  Irish  language,  through 
English  literature;  and  by  those  who  can  give  no  valid  reason  there- 
for today,  only  that  it  exists,    has  placed  a  barrier  in  the  way  of 


42  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

of  those  able  champions  in  the  cause  of  the  vindication 
of  the  ancient  Irish,  was  lost  sight  of  altogether. 
Hence,  the  indifference  of  the  Irish  race,  as  a  rule, 
outside  of  Ireland  (and  there  are  too  many  indifferents 
there  also)  to  language  and  literature,  vindication 
and  education;  from  the  Irish  view  point. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  nevertheless,  that  the  same 
slanders  and  misrepresentations  which  aroused  the 
Irish  champions  in  refutation  thereof,  in  the  17th, 
century,  are  still  on  the  pages  of  European  literature  and 
oday  more  universal  than  ever  before,  through  the 
migrations  of  some  of  the  different  peoples  of  Europe; 
and  being  so  long  in  existence,  it  will  take  a  determined 
effort  on  the  part  of  a  united  Irish  race,  to  supplant  them 
with  the  truth. 

The  time  has  arrived  however,  for  starting  the  settle- 
ment of  these  questions  relative  to  the  "story"  of  the 
Gaels.  The  writer  of  this  pamphlet,  whose  researches,  in 
this  particular  line,  for  the  most  part  of  two  generations 
since  he  read  Keating's  history  —  has  succeeded  in 
remoivng  the  "absurdities,"  and  in  explaining  them, 
in  "The  Travels  of  the  Gaels,"  which  will  reach  the 
publisher's  hands  before  1911  is  past. 

The  discoveries  which  paved  the  way  for  the  removal 
and  explanation  of  the  "absurdities,"  and  which  could 
never  have  been  made  only,  through  a  practical  know- 
ledge of  the  Irish  language,  enhance  the  value  of  that 
language,  to  the  extent  that  a  living  knowledge  thereof, 
and  familiarity  with  its  copious  literature  will  revolution- 
ize the  literary  world,  and  place  the  Irish,  or  Gaelic 

progress  in  the  educational  line  for  centuries.  This  old  language 
was  the  first  language  of  Europe;  a  cultivated  language  coming 
there,  It  is  the  parent  of  all  the  other  languages  of  Europe,  living 
and  dead;  it  is  an  older  sister  than  the  Sanscrit  as  internal  evidence 
in  both  proves;  and  it  is  a  living  language  today,  although  its  youn- 
ger sister  was  dead  two  centuries  before  the  Christians  era.  Is  it 
not  natural  to  expect,  therefore,  that  anything  we  are  ignorant  of  in 
the  literary  line,  ought  be  sought  in  that  language  and  for  the  sake 
o)  knowledge  bury  the  prejudice} 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  43 

race,  in  the  fore  front  of  the  nations  of  the  earth;  with 
their  history  or  "story",  the  most  ancient  and  authentic 
in  the  world. 


'An/'  is  an  Irish  name  for  man,  the  male  human  being,  and 
by  placing  the  possessive  pronoun  singular  "mo,"  my,  before  it, 
we  have  "m'an,"  what  a  woman  would  say  in  Irish,  speaking  of 
her  male  companion,  or  husband  — "man,"  my  man,  or  hus- 
band—  the  mark* of  the  elimination  of  the  vowel  "o"  of  "mo," 
having  disappeared  long  ago. 

The  vowel  "a"  in  "man,"  a  male  being,  is  pronounced,  as  a 
rule,  like  "a"  in  "fan;"  but  in  the  Irish  expression,  "man,"  my 
mau  or  husband,    the  "a"  has  the  sound  of  "a"  in  "than;"  and 


44  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  duty  that  devolves  upon  Board,  sand  Commit- 
tees of  Education,  in  their  respective  communities 
and  districts,  concerning  the  Irish  language. 

Opposition  to  that  language  caused  by  the  slanders 
of  the  English  nation  on  the  Irish  race.  The  duty  of 
the  Irish  race  in  their  respective  localities  where  they 
are  in  the  majority,  relative  to  their  ancestral  language. 
Boston  is  to  set  the  example  as  it  did  before.  Value  of 
the  Irish  language  for  the  vindication  of  the  Irish  race, 
and  from  an  educational  point  of  view.  Necessity  of 
preserving  the  Irish  language  abroad,  rather  than  be 
sending  students  to  Ireland,  to  the  National  University 
to  learn  it.  The  utilization  of  facilities  for  learning 
Irish  and  thereby  move  on  the  onward  march  of  civil- 
ization retarded  for  centuries.  A  weekly  publication 
the  best  means  for  advancing  the  Irish  language  move- 
ment. 

A  knowledge  of  Irish  and  familiarity  with  its  copious 
literature,  being  indispensable  to  the  explanation 
etymologically,  of  the  unaccounted  for  percentage  of 
the  vocabularies  of  the  English,  Greek  and  Latin  lan- 
guages —  indispensable  to  the  removal  of  the  mystic 
veil  from  Grecian  and  Roman  mythology  —  to  the 
correction  of  items  of  ancient  history  and  geography 
handed  down  by  the  so-called  ancients  —  to  the  shed- 

a  Lowland  Scotchman  in  using  English  will  give  "a"  in  "man," 
a  male  being,  the  same  pronunciation  as  in  the  Irish  expression. 

"Hyperboreans;"  who  these  people  were,  and  where  located  , 
has  been  and  still  is,  a  disputed  question.  Webster  in  his  Dic- 
tionary, says:  "The  ancients  gave  this  denomination  to  the  people 
and  places  to  the  northward  of  the  Scythians,  people  and  regions 
of  which  they  had  little,  or  no  knowledge.  The  Hyperboreaus 
then,  are  the  Laplanders,  the  Samoiedes,  and  the  Russians  near 
the  White  Sea."  They  are  not.  The  Irish  language  will  settle 
this  disputed  question. 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  45 

ding  of  the  light  of  ancient  history  on  the  era  of  civil- 
ization that  preceded  that  of  the  Greeks;  it  is  the  duty 
of  all  educational  Boards  and  Committees  throughout 
the  English-speaking  nations,  at  least,  to  interest 
themselves  in  the  spreading  of  a  knowledge  of  that 
language  in  their  respective  communities. 

The  opposition  to  the  Irish  language  in  all  educational 
bodies,  has  been,  and  still  is,  the  result  of  the  slanders 
of  the  English  nation.  Let  the  Irish  race,  all  over  the 
world  therefore,  make  explanation  and  argument  in 
their  respective  communities,  in  favor  of  the  language; 
and  where  they  are  in  the  majority  break  down,  if 
occasion  requires,  those  false  barriers,  by  demanding 
a  recognition  of  this  ancient  and  valuable  language 
from  this  forth;  at  least  in  the  higher  grades  of  public 
Schools,  to  start  with. 

Let  Boston  which  started  this  present  movement  for 
the  study  and  spread  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Gaelic,  or 
Irish  language,  and  the  literature  therein,  37  years  ago, 
set  the  example  for  the  race  throughout  the  country; 
and  elsewhere. 

Let  each  Section  of  the  City  —  Charlestown,  E. 
Boston,  So.  Boston,  Dorchester,  Roxbury,  Jamaica 
Plain,  Brighton,  Back  Bay,  and  Boston  Proper,  call 
for  an  Irish  language  Class,  in  its  Evening  High  School, 
at  least  one  evening  in  the  week  for  a  commencement; 
and  insist  on  getting  it,  as  a  knowledge  of  that  language 
is  necessary,  not  only  for  the  vindication  of  the  Irish 
race,  but  also  for  the  advancement  of  the  American 
nation  from  an  educational  point  of  view.     This  will 

No  one  disputes  that  "Hibernia"  was  Ireland,  according  to  the 
Romans;  but  the  component  parts  of  the  name  are  not  so  well 
known.  "Ibh,"  means  a  country,  or  tribe  of  people  in  a  country  . 
'Eire"  is  an  Irish  name  for  Ireland,  and  "Eireann"  the  gentive 
form  thereof?  join  "ibh",  and  "Eireann,"  place  the  aspirate 
"H"  before  them;  the  Latin  termination  "ia"  after  them;  and 
give  "b"  in  "ibh"  its  radical  sound  and  you  have  "Hibernia," 
which  means  the  country  of  Ireland. 

" Hyperboreans"  is  the  Greek  form  of  the  same  Roman  name 


46  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

set  a  value  on  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language,  and 
encourage  the  societies  of  the  race,  to  study  it,  and  also, 
its  copious  literature. 

The  Irish  element  being  in  the  majority  in  Boston, 
these  classes  will  soon  be  established,  provided  that 
they  desire  to  vindicate  their  race,  and  elevate  the 
American  nation  educationally. 

As  the  new  National  University  of  Ireland  will 
impart  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  and 
its  literature  to  its  students;  and  thereby  elevate  them 
in  the  educational  line  above  those  of  any  other  insti- 
tutions where  such  knowledge  is  not  imparted;  Ameri- 
cans cannot  afford  to  be  behind  their  kin  and  cousins 
of  the  British  Islands,  in  the  literary  line;  and  they 
need  not  be,  while  the  same  facilities  are  here  in  Boston, 
and  also  in  other  places  throughout  the  Union.  So 
the  sooner  we  commence  to  utilize  these  facilities,  which 
have  been  ignored  through  prejudice,  and  ignorance 
and  which  as  a  consequence,  stayed  the  onward  march 
of  civilization  for  centuries;  the  sooner  will  we  reach  a 
stage  in  education  which  will  demonstrate  the  great 
value  of  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  to 
the  literary  world. 

Even  with  the  Irish  classes  established  in  the  Evening 
High  Schools,  and  the  Irish  Societies  active  in  the  study 
of  the  language  no  real  headway  can  be  expected 
without  a  weekly  publication  in  the  interest  of  the 
movement,  with  lessons  in  convversational  Irish  every 
week,  and  reports  from  school  and  classes  in  Irish 
language. 

of  Ireland;  (but  the  Greek  term  was  in  use  long  before  the  Roman 
term)  with  the  exception  of  using  "y"  in  place  of  "J"  after  the 
aspirate  "H"'  and  using  "p"  in  place  of  Mb,M  as  the  Greeks  did 
as  a  rule;  and  "bor"  was  added  as  a  characteristic  of  the  people 
of  the  country;  the  meaning  of  the  term  being,  great,  noble,  or 
wealthy.  So  the  "Hyperboreans,"  according  to  the  Greeks, 
were  the  great,  noble,  or  wealthy  people  of  Ireland. 

Now  let  us  deal  a  little  with  mythology. 

"Athena"  was  one  of  the  Great  divinities  of  the  Greeks  from 


THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR.  47 

However,  invaluable  as  the  preservation  of  Irish 
as  a  living  language  is  to  the  Irish  race,  and  to  ad- 
vancement in  education,  to  which  the  race  have 
been  devoted  from  time  immemorial,  untill 
their  progress  in  that  line  was  checked  by  John 
Bull,  whose  forefathers  they  elevated  from  illiter- 
acy and  barbarism  which  they  brought  with  them 
to  the  British  Islands;  yet  there  are  today  of  the 
race,  only  a  few  comparatively,  here  and  there, in 
the  countries  where  they  have  settled  since  they 
fled  from  starvation  and  misery,  manufactured 
by  that  same  John  Bull,  that  show  any  interest  in 
the  Irish  language  revival. 

Even  in  Ireland,  the  fountain  head,  and  home  of 
the  Gaels,  and  their  language  for  3,600  years,  the 
Gaelic  League,  which  is  in  existence  for  17  years, 
and  led  by  "the  noblest  Roman  of  them  all,"  Dr. 
Douglas  Hyde,  is  yet  in  the  minority,  not  only  in 
the  Anglecised  sections  of  the  country,  but  also,  in 
the  Irish-speaking  districts;  and  it  may  be  inferred 
from  the  following  extract  from  an  editorial  in  the 
"Claidheamb  Soluis,"  of  Dec.  10th.  1910,  what  ele- 
ments of  the  population  of  those  districts,  where 
the  language  still  lives,  and  where  the  effort  to 
preserve  it  can  be  successful,  are  remiss  in  their 
duty  towards  its  preservation,  in  order  thereby  to 
save  the  race  and  nationality: —  "We  must  by  a 
gentle  but  strong  pressure  force  Irish  upwards  in 
the  schools  and  Churches  of  the  Irish  Speaking 
districts,  or  we  shall  fail  altogether.  If  the  teachers 
and  priests  of  these  districts  realized  the  power  they 
might  wield  in  saving  the  language  we  feel  sure  that 
they  would  be  more  active,  and  earnest  in  its  cause.  ■ 
A  forward  movement  within  the  teaching  body, 
and  a  similar  movement  among  the  clergy  in  Irish 
Speaking  districts  would  by  force  of  example  alone 
save  Irish  amongst  the  people. 

whom  the  city  of  Athens,  the  capital  of  Greece,  was  called.  She 
is  represented  as  the  daughter  of  Zens,  the  chief  of  the  gods;  and 
that  she  was  born  from  his  head. 

The  Irish  word  "aithne"  (aih-in-ne)  means  knowledge:  it  was 
deified,  and  given  as  a  name  to  this  woman  who  was  remarkable 
for  her  knowledg'e  and  wisdom;  and  as  we  are  told  in  mythologi- 
cal literature  that  she  was  born  from  the  head,  the  seat  of  know- 
ledge, it  does  not  require  much  reasoning  power  to  conceive  the 
idea  that  Athena,  the  Greek  deity  is  aithne  (knowledge)  person, 
ofied. 


48  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

"The  League  must  continue  to  strengthen  and 
perfect  its  organization,  and  the  individual  member 
must  become  the  active,  untiring  missionary.  It 
is  the  spirit  that  tells  in  the  end.  The  proper  spitit 
will  make  us  aim  at  perfect  organization  and  prop- 
aganda, but  it  will  also  compel  us  to  give  the  Irish 
language  the  place  of  honor  in  our  homes,  in  our 
Churches,  in  our  Schools,  and  in  our  tongues  at  all 
times.  The  loyalty  of  the  individual  Irish  speaker 
to  the  duty  of  using  Irish  in  public  and  private, 
will  save  the  language.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Eoen 
Mac  Neill,  that  Irish  should  be  as  universally 
spoken  10  years  hence,  as  it  was  50  years  ago." 

From  the  above  extract  it  is  plain  to  be  seen  that 
after  17  years  of  existence  and  active  work  by  the 
Gaelic  League,  to  wake  the  Irish  race  in  Ireland  to 
a  sense  of  their  duty  towards  the  preservation  of 
the  Irish  language  for  the  vindication  of  their 
slandered  sires,  for  the  removal  of  the  stigma  re- 
sulting from  the  slanders  of  the  past,  from  their 
race  of  the  present  day  and  of  the  future,  and  for 
advancement  in  education,  there  are  still  some  of 
the  most  influential  classes  of  the  race,  giving  the 
Gaelic  League  and  its  appeals,  a  deaf  ear,  and  the 
percentage  of  those  classes  doing  so,  is  in  the  majori- 
Do the  individuals  of  this  majority  realize  the 
slanders  heaped  on  their  race  for  centuries  by  English 
historians;  and  do  they  realize  that  a  refutation  of 
those  slanders  would  be  an  impossibility  if  the  Irish 
language  were  allowed  to  die?  "A  forward  move- 
ment within  the  teaching  body,  and  a  similar 
movement  among  the  clergy  of  Irish  speaking 
districts,  would  by  force  of  example  alone  save  Irish 
amongst  the  people;"  and  those  classes  in  Ireland, 
or  the  majority  thereof  yet  on  the  fence,  or  rather 
on  the  offside  yet,  will  not  make  that  move  for 
saving  it! 

"Volcano,"  a  burning  mountain,  is  from  "failc"  (fauilk)  a 
chasm,  or  opening;  and  "ten,"  fire.  In  joining  these  words,"  t" 
initial  of  "ten,"  takes  an  aspirate  sound,  and  is  eliminated,  leav- 
ing us  "failcen"  in  the  compound;  meaning  the  "chasm  fire." 
In  the  dative  case,  the  initial  "f"  in  Irish,  is  eclipsed  by  "b," 
aspirated,  which  takes  the  sound  of  "v;"  so  in  the  phrase  "on 
bhfailcen,"  from  the  chasm  fire  "f"  is  entirely  eclipsed,  and  the 
phrase  is  phonatically,  "on  vailcen;"  and  vailcen,  made  volcan, 
with  the  Greek  termination  "o"  is  volcano  a  chasm  fire.    The  term 


THE   IRISH    VINDICATOR.  49 

Mo  naire  dhearg  ey  a    Clanna  na  Tire, 

Oidi  'gus  Sagairt  a  d'easgair  o  Mhile, 

Ca  bhfuil  bhur  meanmain  preabaidh 'go  leidmheach, 

Saoraigh'  d'bhur  m-Buime  an  FineachasGaedhealach. 

Ireland  in  bygone  days,  rebuking  her  children, 
for  their  indifference  towards  the  language  and 
literature  of  their  ancestors,  will  apply  now  to 
those  "yet  on  the  off  side  of  the  fence."  Here  is 
the  substance  of  it  in  English: — 

I  ask  thee  Munster  of  druidical  boasts, 
Heber's  great  offspring  of  grand  heavy  hosts; 
When  withered  and  faded  my  fame  you  saw, 
Why  then  did  you  wean  and  from  me  withdraw? 

Answer  my  grief  noble  Counacht  the  grand, 

Of  the  smooth  green  plains  and  the  sweet- toned  band ; 

Why  so  little  known  of  thine  olden  tales, 

Thro*  Meabh's  gaily  Cruachan  of  the  fine  dales? 

Determined  Ulster,  for  red  battles  famed, 
In  which  Emania's  hosts  of  yore  were  trained; 
Did  not  those  sheddings  tha  thave  chilled  thy  might, 
Prejudge  of  the  fame  of  each  Red  Branch  Knight? 

Proud  Linster  of  plains  and  of  vales  of  green, 
With  the  gems  of  the  bards  of  old  thou'st  been; 
Have  not  you  forsaken  those  mental  lays, 
Of  Tara  of  the  Kings  in  ancient  days  ? 

My  heart,  my  chest  oppressed,  my  waist  and  bones, 
My  eye,  my  side,  my  harpstrings  feel  my  moans; 
My  foot,  my  steps,  my  leap,  my  strength — they  all! 
My  Gaelic  spouse,  the  free,  the  fair,  the  tall? 

Me  hath  shun! —  and  my  loving  lays  of  old, 
My  noble  men,  to  them,  in  books,  seem  cold; 
Yon  stands  the  Gaelic  lore,  a  bard's  desire, 
Unsought,  unread,  and  ready  to  expire! 

vailcen,  or  vulcan,  was  deified,  and  known  in  mythological  litereture 
as  the  god  of  subteraneous  fire;  also,  known  as  the  smith  of  hell. 

"Cyclopes,"  these  are  vulcan 's  workmen,  said  to  be  giants 
with  one  eye  only  in  the  middle  of  the  forehead.  Take  away  the 
termination  "e^"  from  "Cyclopes,"  and  you  have  2  plain  Irish 
words;  "ce,"  the  earth  (the  Greeks  have  "ge"  for  the  earth;) 
and  "dab"  an  open  mouth;  the  compound  "ceclob,"  therefore 
means  an  open  mouth  of  the  earth.  The  Greeks  used  a  "p"  in 
place  of  the  "b"  in  the  Irish  word,  as  in  Hyperboreans;  and    'y" 


50  THE  IRISH   VINDICATOR. 

My  prolonged  wail,  I  pray  thee,  cure  dearclanns, 
I'm  weak  and  aged,  gray  from  myriad  banns; 
A  nation's  speech,  her  soul  and  grace,  once  fled, 
Strife,    stealth,    and    blight    and    blindness    reign 
instead." 

Under  existing  circumstances  in  the  Emerald 
Isle,  it  appears  that  the  salvation  of  the  spoken 
Irish  is  not  secured,  although  the  Gaelic  League  is 
doing  herculean  work  for  its  preservation,  English 
influence  is  telling  against  it.  Can  the  Irish  race 
in  general  realize  how  readily  the  arm  of  the  Eng- 
lish law  could  be  brought  heavier  on  the  Irish  lan- 
guage movement,  in  the  home  of  the  Gaels,  at  the 
whim  of  John  Bull?  In  the  event  of  such  coming  to 
pass,  which  might  be  possible  at  any  time,  what 
remedy  could  the  Irish  race  abroad  apply  to  save 
the  language  and  literature,  and  thereby  the  race 
from  extinction,  as  the  Gaels  at  home  in  such  a 
case,  would  be  powerless. 

There  is  one  remedy  in  the  hands  of  the  Irish 
abroad,  at  least  in  the  great  American  Republic, 
for  the  preservation  of  Irish  as  a  living  language. 
That  remedy  is,  to  organize  Irish-speaking  Colonies 
of  the  race,  for  settlement  on  sections  of  the  un- 
occupied lands  in  the  West  and  Middle  West, 
where  those  Colonies  would  grow  up  bilingual  and 
where  John  Bull  and  his  West  British  influence 
could  not  interfere. 

In  every  large  centre  of  population  throughout  the 
United  States,  such  as  Boston,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Chicago,  San  Francisco,  Philadelphia 
and  in  Canada,  and  South  America,  such  a 
Colony  can  be  organized,  and  in  addition  to 
saving  the  language,  the  literature,  and  the  race, 
by  doing  so,  the  scheme  would  place  the  colonists 
themselves,  in  an  independent  position,  take  them 
from  where  too  many  of  the  race,  are  already  in 
poor  circumstances,  with  very  little  hopes  of  better- 
instead  of  the  "e'\  These  "Cyclopes,"  are  the  volcanoes — open 
mouths  of  the  earth — and  when  they  emit  fire,  or  smoke,  they  are, 
as  it  were,  blowing  the  bellows  for  the  man  below — vulcan — aad 
therefore,  they  are  his  workmen;  and  stout  men  at  that; — giants — 
and  thecrater  or  "dab"  is  the  "one  eye,"  in  the  forehead  of  each. 

"Annals,"  histories  digested  into  years,  is  a  sample  of  the  per- 
centage of  words  in  use  in  the  English  language,  and  also  in  other 
languages,  which  are  only  partially  explained,  etymologically,  and 
cannot  be  fully  without  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language. 


THE   IRISH    VINDICATOR.  51 

ing  their  condition,  and  advance  education  to  a  stage 
which  it  could  never  have  reached  otherwise; 
and  eventually  Greater  Ireland  would  become  a 
reality  in  the  Western  World.  This  Scheme  is 
for  getting  the  upper  hand  of  John  Bull  without 
firing  a  bullet  at  him;  for  he  does  not  want  the  Irish 
language  revived. 

When  the  Irish  language  was  sanctioned  in  the 
public  Schools  of  Ireland,  29  years  ago,  for  which 
credit  is  due  to  Mat  Harris,  that  noble  Irishman 
from  the  West  of  Ireland,  the  English  government 
had  no  idea  that  it  would  be  a  success;  and  the  men 
at  the  helm  in  Ireland  had  then,  the  same  idea. 
That  the  government  did  not  want  it  to  be  a  suc- 
cess, is  proved  by  the  fact  that  not  many  years  ago, 
when  the  progress  that  was  being  made  in  the  lan- 
guage movement,   through   the  instrumentality  of 
the  Gaelic  League,  was  observed,  the  financial  sup- 
port was  withdrawn  from  the  Irish  language  move- 
ment by  the  English  government.     Does  any  in- 
dividual want  any  stronger  proof  of  the  unfriendly 
feeling    of    the    English    government    towards    the 
Irish  Language,  than  this?     However,  fearing  the 
criticism   of   continental    scholars   who    know    the 
value  of  Irish  from  an  educational  view  point,  the 
financial  support  was  eventually  returned;  but  the 
conduct  of  the  government  officials  in  Ireland  to- 
day, towards  the  Irish  language,  proves  conclusively 
that  the  government  is  opposed  to  the  language 
revival  —  that   its  desire  is  to   kill   it.     Then  the 
Irish  would  be  West  Britons  in  Ireland  and  Anglo- 
Saxons  abroad,  whether  they  like  it  or  not. 

Now  is  the  time  to  place  a  check  on  this  long  de- 
sign of  the  English  government,  by  establishing 
those  Irish-speaking  Colonies  abroad.  The  think- 
ing and  influental  elements  of  the  Irish  race 
be  they  Irish  speakers  or  not,  will  take  a  hand  ,  in 

English  etymologists  tell  us  that  the  English  word  "annals", 
is  derived  from  the  Latin  "annus"  a  year,  but  know  nothing  of 
the  latter  part  of  the  word. 

It  is  from  the  Irish  words  "an"  a  year,  and  "dala"  historic 
relations,  "andala*"  in  Irish,  therefore,  means  yearly  historic 
relations.  In  the  union  of  these  two  words  the  "n"  of  "an' 
eclipses  the  "d"  initial  of  "dala,"  so  that  the  combination  "nd" 
in  the  compound  approx  mates  to  the  sound  of  "nn;"  hence  the 
double."n"  in  this  word  in  all  the  languages  of  Europe  except  the 
Irish. 


52  THE  IRISH  VINDICATOR. 

their  formation,  in  their  respective  communities, 
ad  ly  ccirg  tc.  lie  pieseivaticn  of  the  Irish  race 
«  r  d  all  it  Macs  fcr  is  jeeured.  Ncbcdy  knows  how 
hirgs  rray  tun  in  favcr  cf  the  idea.  There  is 
n ".crcy  creigh  rrrer.g  the  Irish  lace  in  /rreriea  to 
•(tile  !(ne  Jich  Celeries,  en  ireecupied  lards, 
/gitatien  n  eerr.edien  with  tie  scheme,  may  de- 
Atier  rratteis  lo  tie  cMert  ef  mahirg  the  idea  a 
icpular  (re.  It  is  {cajahle;  ard  it  is  a  receesity, 
let  erly  f  u  rr  a  lace  surer  cint,  as  ro  ere  I  news 
vhen  Jcrn  Ei  11  nay  call  a  1  alt  to  tre  Irish  language 
n  ca(  mer.t  in  Irelard,  tut  aho,  it  is  a  recessity  fiem 
en  e  ducat  ieral  peirt  cf  view. 

Let  all  Iii<h  spcahcre  mairicd  ard  sirgle  wake  up, 
(c  r  their  ewn  irteifst,  arc!  utilize  tie  language  fcr 
the  futuie,  and  thereby  prepare  themselves  for 
bettering  their  condition  by  getting  on  the  land. 
However,  those  on  the  firing  line  in  Ireland,  must 
not  be  forgotten  while  John  Bull  allows  them  to 
work  fori  the  language  preservation,  they  must 
be  upheld  from  abroad. 

With  this  word  so  common  in  Irish  literature  from  time  imme- 
morial, is  it  likely  that  the  Anglo  Saxons  educated  in  Ireland  from 
the  middle  of  the  fifth  century,  long  before  they  knew  any  Latin, 
waited  to  get  this  word  from  the  Latin  language  to  use  it  in  their 
own? 

"Science,"  this  word  which  means  "knowledge,"  cannot  be 
analyzed  by  our  English  lexicographers,  with  all  their  knowledge 
of  the  classics;  but  our  English  etymologists  tell  us  it  is  derived 
from  the  Latin  "Scio,"  to  know;  and  Noah  Webster  says  in  his 
Dictionary  that  "Scio  is  probably  a  contracted  word" 

"San"  is  an  Irish  word  meauing  "self,"  and  "fios"  is  another, 
meaning  "knowledge;"  Sanfhios,  (sanios)  therefore  means  self 
knowedge.  This  is  the  word  presumably,  that  was  corrupted 
a  little  in  its  spelling  and  made  "Science;"  for  the  knowledge  must 
be  possessed  by  the  individual;  no  hearsay  "knowledge. 

Through  a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  we  find  that  when 
the  Gaels  came  through  Europe,  on  their  way  to  Ireland  —  the 
promised  land  —  Mount  Vesuvious  in  Italy  was  in  active  opera- 
tion; and  afterwards  there  came  a  lull,  and  a  long  one  during  which 
the  cities  of  Pompeii  and  Hereulaeneum  grew  up  at  the  foot  cf  the 
mountain.  And  that  lull  continued  so  long  that  trees  of  the  largest 
size  were  growing  in  the  crater,  or  "clab,"  when  it  broke  out 
again  and  destroyed  the  above  cities  in  the  first  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  There  could  be  no  better  proof  of  the  antiquity 
of  the  Gaels  in  Europe  than  this  fact  about  Mount  Vesuvious. 


APPENDIX 

Of  all  the  samples  of  proof  of  the  civilization  of 
the  Ancient  Gaels,  given  in  "The  Irish  Vindicator/1 
both  directly  and  indirectly,  the  following,  relative 
to  the  Sepulchral  Mounds  of  the  era  of  civilization 
that  preceded  the^Grecian  era,  may  be  as  convinc- 
ing as  any: — 
Ancient  Irish  Civilization  Proved  by  Irish 
Records. 

Ireland  leads  the  world  in  the  antiquity  of 
Systematic  records.  In  ancient  tmes,  before 
Grecian  civilization,  nations  honored  their  great 
men,  whether  legislators,  warriors,  sages,  or  men 
of  literary  genius,  by  erecting  after  their  death, 
Sepulchral  monuments  to  their  memory,  in  the 
shape  of  Cromlecas,  Barrows,  Dolmens,  or  Cists. 

Those  Sepulchral  monuments  can  be  seen  through- 
out all  the  ancient  European  countries  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  but  not  a  nation  of  Europe  has  kept  a 
record  of  any  of  them,  except  the  Irish  nation. 
I  will  quote  in  reference  to  the  Irish  National 
Records  and  the  mound-raising  period,  the  History 
of  Ireland,  by  O'Grady,  who  even  questions  if  there 
was  a  nation  in  the  world  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
that  was  as  systematic  as  regards  its  National 
Records,  as  the  Irish  nation. 

He  says,  "I  think  Ireland  alone  among  the  nations 
of  the  world,  exhibits  as  to  its  history,  the  same 
progress  from  the  mythological  and  heroic,  to  the 
mundane,  not  even  excepting  Greece  which  comes 
next.  In  the  history  of  Greece  there  occurs  be- 
tween the  two  regions  an  era  of  mere  barren  names, 
which  indicate  that  here  is  debatable  and  uncer- 
tain land.  On  one  side  is  the  purple  light  of  imag- 
ination, amid  which    loom    and  glitter  the  heroes 

53 


54  THE   IRISH    VINDICATORS 

and  the  gods  —  a  land  illuminated  by  the  mind  of 
Hesiod  and  Homer,  and  the  tragedians;  on  the 
other  the  clear  light  of  history  prevails.  We  see 
clearly  that  one  is  history,  and  the  other  fiction. 
But  in  the  progress  of  the  Irish  National  Record,  the 
purple  light  is  never  absent.  The  weird,  the  super- 
natural, the  heroic,  surround  characters  as  certain 
as  Brian  Boru-events  as  trustworthy  as  the  Norman 
invasion.  The  bards  never  relinquished  their 
right  to  view  their  history  with  the  eyes  of  poets 
to  convert  their  kings  into  heroes  and  adorn  battles 
and  events  with  hues  drawn  from  mythology;  hence 
the  great  stumbling  block  (in  separating  history 
from  mythology)  in  Irish  literature. 

"Scattered  over  the  surface  of  Europe  may  be 
found  sepulchral  monuments,  the  remains  of  pre- 
historic times  and  nations,  and  of  a  phase  of  life 
and  civilization  which  has  long  since  passed  away. 
No  country  of  Europe  is  without  its  Cromleacs," 
'Dolmens,'  huge  earthen  tumuli,  great  flagged  sep- 
ulchres, and  enclosures  of  tall  pillar  stones;  and 
no  country  of  Europe  has  kept  any  record  of  any 
of  these  except  Ireland,  which  by  virtue  of  a 
marvelous  strength  and  tenacity  of  the  historical 
intellect,  and  of  filial  devotedness  of  the  memory  of 
the:r  ancestors,  there  have  been  preserved  down 
into  the  early  phases  of  mediaeval  civilization,  and 
then  committed  to  the  sure  guardianship  of  manu- 
scripts, the  hymns,  ballads,  stories  and  chronicles, 
the  names,  pedigrees,  and  even  character  of  those 
ancient  kings  and  warriors,  over  whomthose  mas- 
sive 'Cromleacs,'  were  erected,  and  great  'Cams' 
piled. 

"There  is  not  a  conspicuous  sepulchral  monument 
in  Ireland  the  traditional  history  of  which  is  not 
recorded  in  our  ancient  literature,  and  of  the  heroes 
in  whose  honor  those  monuments  were  raised.  In 
the  rest  of  Europe  there  is  not  a  single  'Barrow,' 


THE   IRISH    VINDICHTOR.  55 

'Dolmen,'  or  'Cist'  of  which  the  ancient  traditional 
history  is  recorded.  In  Ireland  there  is  hardly  one 
of  which  it  is  not.  And  those  histories  are  in  many 
cases  as  rich  and  circumstantial  as  those  of  men  of 
the  greatest  eminence  who  have  lived  in  modern 
times. 

"Foreigners  are  surprised  to  find  the  Irish  claim 
for  their  own  country  an  antiquity  and  a  history 
prior  to  those  of  the  neighbouring  countries. 
Herein  lie  the  proofs  and  the  explanation.  The 
traditions  and  history  of  the  mound-raising  period 
have,  in  other  countries,  passed  away.  Foreign 
conquest,  or  less  intrinsic  force  of  imagination  and 
pious  sentiment  have  suffered  them  to  fall  into  ob- 
livion; but  in  Ireland  they  have  been  all  preserved  in 
their  original  fullness  and  vigour;  hardly  a  hue  has 
faded,  hardly  a  minute  circumstance,  or  articulation 
been  suffered  to  decay." 

The  reader  may  be  led  to  infer  from  this  quota- 
tion that  the  Gaels  in  Ireland  had  not  the  use  of 
letters,  until  "the  early  phases  of  mediaeval  civil- 
ization," but  the  fact  is  that  the  Gaels  had  the  use 
of  letters  from  the  time  of  their  great  ancestor 
Fenius  Fearsa,  King  of  Scythia  (not  the  Scythia 
of  Herodotus),  who  is  said  to  have  invented  the 
alphabet,  and  established  Gaelic  schools  in  his 
Kingdom    2500    years    before    the    Christian    era. 

They  held  these  letters  during  their  sojournings 
in  Egypt  and  Europe,  and  brought  them  to  Ireland 
1699  years  before  the  Christian  era.  Being  isolated 
by  themselves  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  they  progressed 
rapidly  in  civilization,  as  their  literature  anoV  laws 
will  prove;  so  that  they  were  always  able  to  keep 
records,  and  in  the  third  century  after  landing  in 
Ireland,  -ftiere  was  established  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Ollamh  Fodla,  a  Senatorial  form  of  govern- 
ment, a  system  not  yet  improved  on  in  the  world. 

The  ancient  literature  of  Ireland  in  which  the 


56  THE  IRISH    VINDICATOR. 

history ^of  those  mounds  and  of  the  personages  over 
whom  they  were  erected,  are  to  be  found,  has  been 
for  the  last  two  or  three  centuries,  like  "sealed 
books,  in  the  keeping  of  the  Irish  language."  there 
being  only  a  few  comparatively  able  to  read  them; 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  national  language  of 
Ireland  and  the  literature  therein,  were  banned 
and  proscribed  by  English  law  in  the  country  for 
centuries;  so  that  the  exact  location  of  any  particu- 
lar monument  is  a  difficult  task  to  discover  at  the 
present  day. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  50  years  ago,  however, 
an  Inspector  of  National  Schools  in  Ireland,  named 
Eugene  Alfred  Conwell,  interested  himself  in  this 
particular  line,  and  as  a  result  of  his  labors  discov- 
ered at  Loughcrew  Hills,  in  Co.  Meath,  the  monument, 
or  mound,  erected  to  the  memory  and  over  the  re- 
mains of  Ollamh  Fodla  (ol-lav  foa-la)  the  great 
Irish  lawgiver,  who  established  at  Tara,  in  the  14th 
century  B.  C.  a  senatorial  form  of  government,  the 
first  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  presumably,  at  least  in 
Europe,  being  500  years  before  Lycurgus,  the  first 
Grecian  lawgiver,  was  born. 

The  various  summits  of  Loughcrew  Hills,  also 
known  by  the  Irish  name  of  "Sliabh  na  Caillighe," 
(sliav  na  kail-lee,)  hags  mountain,  for  two  miles  in 
extent,  are  studded  with  the  remains  of  ancient 
earns,  or  tombs.  This  district  was  known  in  ancient 
times  as  the  Pagan  Cemetery  of  Tailte. 

A  variety  of  inscriptions  —  a  cypher  system, 
presumably  —  is  on  a  number  of  the  flags  in  Ollamh 
Fodla's  tomb;  but  the  key  for  deciphering  the  in- 
scriptions is  not  yet  discovered. 

Following  are  extracts  from  Con  well's  book  on 
Ollamh  Fodla's  Tomb:  —  "The  original  shape  of 
this  earn  still  remains  comparatively  perfect, 
consisting  of  a  conical  mound  of  loose  stones,  nearly 
all  apparently  fragments  of  the  native  rock,  Lower 


THE   IRISH    YINDICATOR.  57 

Silurian  grit.  It  is  383^,  yards  in  diameter 
at  the  base,  having  an  elevation  of  21  paces  in  slant- 
height  from  base  to  summit.  A  retaining  wall, 
consisting  of  37  large  flags  laid  on  edge,  and  varying 
in  length  from  6  to  12  feet,  surrounds  the  base  ex- 
ternally; and  on  the  eastern  side,  this  surrounding 
circle  of  large  stones  curves  inwards  for  a  distance  of 
8  or  9  yards  on  each  side  of  a  point  where  the  passage 
to  the  interior  chambers  commences. 

"The  interior  of  this  earn  had  been  so  well 
plundered  at  some  former  period  that  no  remains 
of  the  actual  mode  of  Sepulture  were  found  in  it; 
but,  judging  from  the  quantities  of  charred  human 
bones,  broken  urns,  inscribed  bone  flakes,  polished 
stone  balls,  articles  of  bronze  and  iron,  bone,  glass 
and  amber  beads,  etc.,  collected  from  the  other 
earns  during  our  examination  of  them  in  September, 
1865,  two  important  facts  would  appear  to  be  clearly 
established  therefrom,  viz:  that  cremation  of  the 
dead  was  practised  on  Sliabh  na  Caillighe  up  to 
the  Christian  era,  at  the  commencement  of  which, 
as  previously  shown,  the  use  of  this  cemetery  was 
given  up;  and  that,  during  the  period  the  cemetery 
was  in  actual  use,  the  people  must  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  articles  made  not  only  of 
stone  and  of  bronze,  but  of  iron,  glass,  amber  and 
bone. 

"If,  however,  nothing  has  come  down  to  us  im- 
mediately associated  with  the  remains  of  the  orig- 
inal interment  in  this  earn,  future  history  may  have 
something  far  more  interesting  to  record,  when 
some  successful  student  in  archaic  Sculptures  shall 
have,  been  fortunate  enough  to  discover  the  key  for 
interpreting  the  meaning,  whether  ideographic  or 
symbolic,  or/ merely  ornamental,  intended  to  be 
conveyed  by  the  curious,  and  at  present  mystic 
characters  inscribed  upon  the  stones  forming  the 
interior   chambers.        There   is   little   doubt   tna  t 


58  the  irish  Vindicator. 

should. one  of  the  old  sculptors  of  these  devices,  by 
any  possibility  be  able  once  more  to  'revisit  the 
glimpses  of  the  moon,'  and  be  confronted  with  an 
inscription  on  one  of  our  modern  sepulchral  monu- 
ments, the  reading  of  which  to  us  is  so  plain  and 
simple,  and  so  conformable  with  the  science  of 
grammar,  he  would  be  as  much  puzzled,  probably 
more  so,  to  make  sense  or  meaning  out  of  our 
characters,  as  we  are  to-day  out  of  his! 

"A  basaltic  slab,  not  3  feet  square,  turned  up 
near  Rosetta,  on  the  western  mouth  of  the  Nile, 
by  a  French  officer  of  Engineers  in  the  month  of 
August,  1799,  at  present  preserved  in  the  British 
Museum,  and  now  commonly  known  as  'The 
Rosetta  Stone,'  has,  from  its  fruitful  contents,  led 
to  the  deciphering  and  reading  of  what  had  then 
become  mysitc  characters  on  the  pyramids  of 
Egypt." 

There  is  proof  in  this  Appendix  of  the  advanced 
state  of  civilization  of  the  Irish  race  in  Ireland;  in 
fact  that  they  led  the  world  in  civilization  in  the  pre- 
Grecian  era;  and  yet  they  are  the  most  abused  and 
maligned  people  in  the  world  to-day,  and  for  cen- 
turies past,  in  books,  in  papers,  magazines,  annals, 
encyclopedias,  etc.  To  give  a  sample  of  the  slan- 
ders, let  me  quote  from  the  "New  Standard  En- 
cyclopedia," published  in  N.  York  City,  1905,  by 
the  American  Magazine  Association,  by  which  it 
was  Copyrighted  in  1903. 

This  work  was  edited  by  Wm.  A.  Colledge, 
Dean  American  School  of  Correspondence,  Armour 
Institute,  Chicago;  and  Editor  Technical  World; 
and  Nathan  Haskell  Dole,  A.  U. ;  Editor  American 
Dictionary  and  Encyclopedia. 

"The  beginning  of  the  history  of  Ireland  is  envel- 
oped in  fable.  Among  the  ancients  it  was  known 
at  least  as  early  as  the  time  of  Aristotle  (in  the  4th 
century,  B.  C.,)  who  calls  itlerne,  yet  theinformation 


THE    IRISH    VINDICATOR.  59 

to  be  found  about  Ireland  in  the  works  of  the  an- 
cient geographers  and  historians  is  altogether  very 
scanty. 

The  vernacular  language  of  the  Irish  proves  that 
they  are  a  part  of  the  great  Celtic  race  which  was 
once  spread  all  over  Western  Europe.  The  oldest 
and  most  authenticated  Irish  records  were  written 
between  the  10th  and  12th  centuries;  some  of  them 
go  back  with  some  consistency  as  far  as  the  Chris- 
tian era;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  Irish  had 
the  use  of  letters  before  the  middle  of  the  fifth  cen- 
tury when  Christianity  and  Christian  literature 
were  introduced  by  St.  Patrick." 

Men  and  women  of  the  Irish  race,  don't  blame 
yourselves  for  not  being  in  arms  in  refutation  of 
those  wilful  slanders,  because,  as  a  rule,  you  did  not 
know  that  they  existed,  nor  did  you  know  that  your 
ancestors  were  so  remarkable  for  their  advanced 
state  of  civilization  in  the  world  from  time  immem- 
orial. Now  you  are  convinced  of  both,  so  you 
will  wake  up  and  do  your  duty  towards  yourselves 
and  your  descendants  — also  your  ancestors,  whose 
spirits  seem  to  appeal  to  you  from  their  ancient 
cities  of  the  dead,  to  refute  the  columnies  heaped 
upon  them  for  centuries,  by  placing  before  the 
world  again  those  grand  heirlooms  handed  down 
by  them  to  you,  their  decendants,  to  care  for  and 
cherish  —  the  Irish  language  and  Irish  literature, 
and  thereby  place  your  race  in  the  proper  light 
before  the  world;  and  elevate  the  nation  with  which 
you  are  identified,  educationally,  to  a  stage  which 
it  could  never  reach  otherwise. 

The  best  effort  must  be  directed  towards  utilizing 
the  Irish  speakers  in  their  respective  communities, 
and  giving*  prizes  in  money  to  small  children  who 
can  talk  the  language.  If  you  cannot  talk  Irish 
and  are  in  a  community  where  there  are  no  Irish 
speakers,  you  can  aid  in  securing  an  Irish  phono- 
graph. 


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